Dangerous
by ObsessivelyOdd
Summary: Alex has faced death too many times to be scared of it. Some say he isn’t scared of anything. They’re wrong. When Alex is faced with his greatest fear, he runs. For the one thing he can never allow himself to do is lose control. Contains strong language.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Ok, so I should be working on Duty to the Dead, but this was just begging to be written. This chapter switches points of view quite a lot, but I promise it won't last. After this there are going to be two main points of view, with maybe a bit as seen from Jack too... Anyway... This story is all planned out anyway, so I thought I may as well post it to see what you thought. Not much action in this chapter, but I promise there will be a bit later on... ok rather a lot, irregularly dispersed with angst and fluffsiness... _

_DISCLAIMER: As usual, I don't own squat._

***

I knew something had changed as soon as I walked through the door. People were whispering in the corner. Rumours about gangs and drugs were flying through the school like bullets. It could only mean one thing: Alex Rider was back.

I looked at the gossiping masses with undisguised distaste. Yes, I wondered where he went, everyone did, but I was not stupid enough to seriously believe that he was actually doing anything those rumours suggested. Did no-one else notice how his eyes became just a little colder with each absence? How his shoulders would tense at loud noises? He watched everything. I haven't seen him relaxed since that first absence. I have to admit it – I'm worried about him.

We used to be friends, before he started pushing everyone away. He only talked to Tom seriously now, everyone else he was almost painfully sarcastic with. I couldn't say I blamed him – they were like a pack of rabid wolves after a stag. But it was Tom's reactions to him that scared me most. Tom knew where Alex went, I could tell by his face, and the look of relief that flooded his features when he saw Alex walk through the gate - it was almost as if he had never expected to see him again.

It always followed the same pattern. Alex would come back and that momentary expression of relief would appear. For the next few days, Tom would be louder, funnier and in general just more over-the-top than usual, then Alex would pull him aside and they would talk, Alex stumbling over the words as if desperate to get them out as fast as possible. When they rejoined our year, Tom would look shaken and Alex... well, Alex would look empty. The tension and pain that had been present, unnoticed, since he came back would vanish, to be replaced by resignation, weariness and a curious mix of hope and despair. When they came back, I couldn't look into his eyes, scared of what I might find there, scared of falling into that same, dark abyss where Alex seemed to reside.

I didn't understand how no-one else could see it. It was as clear as day that whatever he did was killing him.

I checked my timetable. We had games together this afternoon. I resolved to talk to him, not to try and weasel out of him where he went or what he was doing, just to let him know that I was still his friend, whether he wanted me or not, and that I would always help him, no questions asked, if he needed it.

***

Tom watched Alex sadly as they changed for gym. He had thought that his best friend being a super-spy had been cool, right up until he heard about Alex getting shot. After that he had started to notice the other side, all the cuts and bruises Alex returned with, the ever growing bags under his eyes - as if he wasn't sleeping - and the deadened look on his face whenever he returned. Today was his first day back and Tom could see he was tense from the odd set of his shoulders. He kept his distance and kept up his act. Alex needed time to realise that he wasn't on a mission anymore and motivation to remember he was just a teenager, with every right to laugh and mess about and annoy the hell out of every other age group that exists. After all, what else are teenagers for?

Tom watched tensely as James Miller approached Alex. He better not pick a fight with him today, thought Tom angrily. Not that James normally did. He had seemed almost regretful, almost concerned, this morning when he had realised that Alex was back. He was one of the few people who only left Alex alone because that seemed to be what Alex wanted. Tom could see that losing his friends was hurting Alex- he didn't seem to see that with some of them it was only because he himself was pushing them away. James seemed to be a case like this, so Tom decided not to intercept him. There was a small flame of hope buried inside him that said _maybe_ James could make Alex see how he was forcing himself to be an outcast, _maybe_ James could help Alex.

James tapped Alex on the shoulder, and Tom's hope turned to horror as Alex spun around, a leg already striking out in a Karate kick. Time seemed to slow as he turned. Tom could see Alex's eyes widen in realisation and shock. He could see Alex's foot connect with James' unsuspecting stomach, sending him staggering harshly backwards. It was then that Tom realised: Alex hadn't meant to do it; he hadn't even thought about doing it. Whatever his last mission had been, it had yanked his reflexes firmly out of his control.

***

Alex stared at where James lay. He had hit his head as he fell over and was now unconscious. Alex hadn't meant to kick him. Hi body had registered his gentle touch as a threat and reacted before Alex had even had a chance to think about where he was. He was dangerous. He had to get out of here. He could hurt someone.

***

Tom saw Alex's face turn white. It held an expression Tom hadn't seen on it in a long time: fear. Instinctively, Tom knew that it wasn't fear of what would happen now, rather fear of what he could do. The boys around were staring and whispering, but Alex didn't seem to hear them. Tom saw the decision forming in his eyes. He ran out of the room.

Tom started and followed, sprinting out of the changing rooms after him.

He ignored the Coach's angry yells and swore as the figure of his best friend pulled further ahead. Tom was good at sport, and had no problem with endurance running, but full out sprinting like this was not his forte. He pushed his legs to go faster, ignoring the burn in his thighs. He saw Alex start to climb up the high fencing, the metallic crash as he hit it echoing around the fields.

Alex was half way up when Tom reached him and pulled him back to the ground.

"What the hell was that, Alex?!"

***

It was a sign of how distracted Alex was that Tom was able to pull him to the ground. No, distracted wasn't the right word... He was scared.

Absolute mind-numbing terror had slipped its icy fingers into his brain, freezing him where he sat, at least until Tom slowly sat down next to him. When he realised how close they were, he tried to scramble to his feet, but Tom's hand on his shoulder kept him firmly rooted to the spot.

"I-I didn't mean to do it," he croaked eventually, glancing up at his best friend. "Shit! I didn't even realise it was happening... I think I really hurt him, Tom. I mean... he was fucking unconscious!..." He trailed off, staring out at the games fields. "Shit," he muttered.

It was times like this, he reflected, that smoking would be really beneficial if only to give him something to do with his shaking hands. Tom stayed silent, watching Alex carefully.

"I can't stay here."

"You can't leave, Alex!" exclaimed Tom, shocked.

"Why not?" Alex questioned, harshly, "What on earth is keeping me here? School? I'm failing anyway. My _job?_" He let put a short derisive laugh, then paused, some of the steel in his stance leaving as he added, "If I stay because of you or Jack... well, I'll probably just end up hurting you... It's better for everyone if I leave."

"Jack won't see it like that."

Alex paused, standing up and looking over to where the rest of their class was finally coming onto the fields. "She'll understand," he whispered softly, more of a reassurance to himself than an answer to Tom. His voice hardened as he continued. "She has to. I'm dangerous, Tom. And I can't lose control again."

Before Tom had time to reply, Alex had leapt at the fence and climbed swiftly over it. Tom raised a hand to it, a gesture halfway between reaching for Alex and a sign of farewell. He touched the cold metal links and sighed. Yet another barrier that Alex had placed between them. And though this one was physical, Tom knew it was the least of them.

***

Alex was not religious. He had grown up with Ian, after all, and spies were quickly disillusioned. Ian had never taken him to a church and the few times he might have gone- Christmas, Easter Sunday, and such – he was rarely there.

Jack had once taken him to Westminster though. He had been awed by the sheer size of it, but with tourists traipsing in and out, cameras around their necks and gabbling in a foreign language, he hadn't felt any hint that this could be more than just another building.

But when they had been walking back, they had heard music coming from behind a small set of rundown wooden doors.

It was a small church, but exquisite. The pillars were the same pale, rough stone as the ceiling, which was beautifully carved with cherubs and vines. The walls were of carved wood and the alcoves of saints were painted with gold. The light of a thousand candles had flickered off that paint and the saints seemed to smile forgivingly.

But it was the sense of peace that stayed with him. The sense of tranquillity and beauty that permeated the air until it was almost tangible, mixing effortlessly with the heady incense.

It was silent now, and the candles had gone out, leaving in their wake a melancholy, silent darkness. He remembered how he had sat and prayed, sending all his hopes and dreams out to that unknown, but longed for, deity who could make everything better. Now, he wasn't so naive, but he could still recall the peace he had felt afterwards. It was this recollection that made him fall to his knees in the darkened room.

"_Lord..." _he whispered in the darkness, and then paused, biting his lips. What should he say? What could he say? In desperation he reached for a prayer book and leafed through it.

"_O Holy Spirit," _he began_, "Most merciful Comforter: You proceed from the Father in a manner beyond our understanding. Come, I beseech You, and take up your abode in my heart. Purify and cleanse me from all sin, and sanctify my soul. Cleanse it from every impurity, water its dryness, melt its coldness, and save it from its sinful ways. Make me truly humble and resigned, that I may be pleasing to You..."_

Alex trailed off, a hand rising to the sardonic smile on his lips. It was just words, words to beseech a non-existent deity for help that would not come. The prayer book fell from his hands as he rose, silently, and headed towards the door.

***

The night possessed a stillness that was only broken by the occasional swish of headlights as a car passed him on the road. He kept his head down and hood up, keeping to the shadows as much as possible, out of habit more than any real desire to remain unnoticed. His feet automatically guided him along familiar paths, and before he knew it he was standing outside his house. The light was on in the living room, and he could see Jack's silhouette pacing against the curtains. He felt a stab of guilt. It was about two in the morning with no word, of course she would be worried by now... but he couldn't go in. It was too dangerous for her to be around him; he had to leave and he knew that if he entered his resolve would weaken. He pulled his mobile out of his pocket and dialled the number.

The phone rang inside the house and Alex watched as Jack stiffened, before hurrying through to the kitchen, her progress marked by the sudden light pouring out of the previously dark window.

"H-Hello?" Alex winced. She sounded awful.

"Hi, Jack, it's me." He said, softly.

"ALEX!" she exclaimed, relief flooding her voice. "Are you ok? Where are you? Why aren't you home yet? Has something happened?"

Alex suppressed a small grin. Just like Jack, always speeding right ahead.

"I'm fine," he reassured her, "but..." he trailed off, not knowing how to tell her. He may have told Tom that she would understand, but the reality was completely different. She would hate him for this.

"But what?" she asked suspiciously. "It's not MI6 again, is it? They can't use you anymore! I've renewed my visa; there is nothing for them to hold against you!"

"No, Jack... It's not..." he paused again.

"Well what then?" she asked, obviously confused.

"I'm not coming back," he said quietly.

"I'm sorry, what?" said Jack, faintly. "I think I misheard you."

"No, Jack, you didn't... I'm not coming back."

"Why not?!" she yelled, suddenly angry.

"It's t-too much of a risk," he explained, cursing his voice for shaking. "I... I really hurt someone today; I didn't even mean to! I... I couldn't bear it if I hurt you."

"Oh, Alex," sighed Jack, forlornly. "Please just come home. I promise it'll be ok."

"I'm sorry, but I can't do that."

"Alex, _please,_" she begged. "Just tell me where you are, I'll come and get you! I-"

He interrupted her. "No, Jack. I'm not coming back."

"But-!"

He hung up. Trying to ignore the strange ripping sensation inside him, he repeated his mantra over and over...

_It's for the best._

***

_A/N: Sooooo?! What did you think? I'm not going to bribe you, blackmail you or try to motivate you to review by being funny... I'm just going to say that decent, kind, intelligent people ALWAYS review what they read... wait... that was emotional blackmail, wasn't it...? DAMN!_

_And Thanks to the fantabulous Sheluby94Dreamer for help with the plot... And may I just insert a shameless plug here for her story Project SAS – it's really good, you should go read it!_

_Wow... scary... apparently fantabulous is an actual word according to my spell check..._

_Anyway... REVIEW!_


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Yeah, I know, I have taken ages to update this and I really am sorry. Unfortunately my muse is... unreliable, and is currently in the middle of a war with my conscience which tells me that I really should be revising. Lucky for you guys, my conscience felt guilty when I logged onto my email and read all your wonderful reviews! So... here you are!

DISCLAIMER: Do I really need to say this? I didn't think so.

***

A nameless man strode down a dark hall. He looked vaguely Asian, and he walked like a dancer, despite the stiff, grey suit he was currently wearing. His shoes carried him silently down the long, dark hall, until he stopped in front of a pair of wide double doors. He paused before knocking. One did not interrupt a director lightly.

But they would want to hear this. He _knew _they would want to hear this.

Determinedly, he raised his hand and knocked.

"Sir?" he called. "I think you might want to hear this!"

"Hear what?" called an annoyed voice.

The man quickly pulled out a memory stick and loaded it up on the waiting computer. Nervously, he clicked play and waited, while two tinny voices played out of the speakers.

"_H-Hello?"_

"_Hi, Jack, it's me."_

***

"_Just tell me where you are, I'll come and get you! I-"_

"_No, Jack. I'm not coming back."_

The man terminated the recording and turned to face his fellow directors.

"Do you realise what this means?" asked a woman, a grim smile slowly forming on her sharp features.

"Yes," hissed a man. "Alex Rider is no longer under MI6 protection."

"They will not be able to stop us," murmured another, thoughtfully.

"Gentlemen, Ladies," called the first man over the steadily rising hubbub. "I believe it is time to start seeking our revenge."

***

Alex stood up, wincing as his stiff muscles protested against the sudden movement. Last night had _not_ been fun. He had never enjoyed sleeping rough, especially not in the characteristic English drizzle. If he hadn't left, he would just be sitting down to breakfast – probably burnt, he laughed inwardly – and Jack would be chattering away about nothing, as she did every morning. He had no idea how she managed to be so awake so quickly.

He sighed, wistfully. He missed her already... but not enough to make him reconsider. He was putting her in danger if he stayed and he would never – _could never- _do that to her.

He walked slowly down around town. He honestly didn't know what he should do now – he hadn't planned that far ahead. Going back to school was out of the question – as was getting a job, for exactly the same reason. He should get out of the city... he had to stay away from people.

His neck prickled, as if someone were watching him. He shuddered and rolled his shoulders. The feeling didn't go away.

He stopped in front of a shop window, pretending to be fascinated by the display. But in reality he looked at the reflections. About four metres behind him were two men, both with their eyes fixed on him.

One approached slowly and touched Alex on the shoulder. Alex forced himself not to attack.

"Agent Rider?" said the man, cautiously.

MI6 then, he mused.

"What is it?" he asked, harshly, not turning around.

"We have orders to bring you to the ba-"

But Alex was off, before the man had time to finish the sentence, running as fast as he could.

He heard the man swear loudly and pounding footsteps as both of them started after him. He ran faster.

People were starting to stare.

"Stop him!" called one of the agents. "He stole my wallet!"

_Shit,_ thought Alex. There was always someone around who was willing to play hero. He swerved down a side alley. And another. If he kept this up, he might be able to lose them.

He swerved down another alley, only to find a dead end.

There were four men standing at the end of it, all with large, serious guns at their hips. Alex turned, preparing to duck back out of the alley, only to find two more men had closed in behind him.

How many agents did MI6 think it would take to bring him in? Alex had been slightly surprised by two, but eight? He was cornered, and so couldn't run. He took the only option left open to him.

He leapt at the men at the entrance to the alley. One of his fists caught one on the chin, while his opposite leg sank into the others gut. Both crumpled to the floor.

Alex felt something whiz past his ear. He turned to find the other men had drawn their guns and were shooting at him.

So not MI6 then. Fuck.

Alex leapt around the corner of the alley and began zigzagging down the next one. A bullet grazed his leg and Alex gritted his teeth as blood began to flow freely down his leg. Another clipped his arm.

He forced himself to move faster, ignoring the burning pain in his thighs. His breath was coming in pants and he knew he wouldn't be able to keep this pace up much longer.

There was another gun shot behind him, followed by a strangled scream. Alex risked a look behind him.

The two MI6 agents who had been tailing him had shown up. One of the Scorpia agents was on the floor.

Alex turned back around just in time to hurdle a toppled wheelie-bin. There was a crash that sounded as if someone had fallen of the bin, but Alex didn't look back again. Another scream echoed around the alley.

Alex saw people walking at the end of the street. HE burst out of the entrance of the alley to find himself back on the main streets, just five minutes walk from the station. He took it at a run.

He arrived two minutes later, earning some odd looks from passersby. He didn't buy a ticket – he didn't have much money on him – but instead simply boarded the first train to leave, diving through the partly closed doors.

He sat, panting, on the floor and looked out of the window cautiously. There was no sign of pursuit.

Slowly his breathing calmed and he stumbled into the toilet. His dubious luck had obviously kicked in – there was no-one in the area between compartments at the moment. He locked the toilet door and carefully rolled down his trousers. Luckily, he was still wearing his black school trousers, so the blood didn't show. He pulled off his shirt and tie, thankful that he always wore a T-shirt under his uniform. He cleaned the cut on his leg as best he could with the tissues provided, before binding it tightly with a large strip of his shirt. Turning his attention to his arm, he noted that it wasn't nearly as bad as the one on his leg, once the blood had been wiped off, although it was bleeding profusely.

Unfortunately, he realised, he couldn't exactly tie a bandage around it without raising even more suspicions. In the end, he tied his tie tightly around his shoulder, under his T-shirt, to act as a tourniquet. It seemed to be working, although his arm was starting to go slightly numb.

He slipped into a compartment and sat down, near the door, carefully positioning himself so that his arm was hidden from view. Slowly, he drifted off to sleep.

He was awoken by the conductor enquiring about his ticket. Glancing out of the window, Alex noted that the buildings and roads of London had been replaced by seemingly never ending fields. It must have been several hours later, for the sun was quite low in the sky.

Alex looked back at the conductor, who was standing impatiently looking at him. He sighed.

"I don't have one, and I can't afford one."

"Sorry, son, you'll have to get off at the next stop. I should take you down to the police station for this."

Alex nodded slowly and stood as the train began to slow down.

He disembarked at a tiny station in the middle of nowhere. It couldn't even really be called a station, just a platform with an almost empty car park placed randomly in the middle of some fields. Unfortunately for him, he hadn't thought further than getting out of London and was now stranded, with no idea where he was, and no option of going further.

Ah, well. At least he'd accomplished the get-away-from-civilisation bit. And he doubted that Scorpia or MI6 could find out where he was when even he didn't know.

He sighed, there was no point hanging around here, anyway. HE should probably try and find some shelter for the night. He looked out at the fields. A few miles away, the fields seemed to give out into woods. Alex paused, thinking about all the survival lessons he had been given by Ian. He could probably find shelter in there. Sighing, he began to walk.

***

James walked through the wood next to his brother, Sebastian. It was a cold night, and the woods were dark, despite the moon, bright overhead. He could hear Neil some way off, tramping through the undergrowth. He sighed, if Missy heard him, she would probably run a mile. He had tried to point out that he would be more successful in finding the blasted cat alone, but Maria had had that look on her face. She was almost as good at scary as their grandmother. Wolf didn't know why he was surprised; Maiara had probably been teaching her since she was able to walk.

A flash of white caught his eye and he quickly turned his head. He started to walk forward, as quietly as he could, motioning to Seb to stay still. He stopped on the edge of the clearing and looked around. It wasn't the cat that had caught his attention. It was a boy.

He was white faced and shivering, with mud covering his once-black trousers, and several rips tearing the cloth. James growled. What kind of idiot kid would come out in just a T-shirt at this time of night?

He pushed past the ferns blocking his way and stood in front of the kid.

"What are you doing here?" he said, his voice low and rough. "Shouldn't you be at home?"

The kid didn't respond and James took a closer look at him. He was deathly pale, and shivering far more than was reasonable for the relatively mild summer night.

"Hey, kid!" he said, just a little louder.

Finally the kid responded, his face jerking upwards. James blinked as his gaze was met by a pair of familiar brown eyes.

"Cub?"

***

A/N: Ok, you know the drill: you all want to make me ecstatically happy by reviewing!


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: so here is Chapter 3. I'm sorry that all of those wonderful reviews are going unanswered, but I am trying to revise at the moment and it's not going so well. The only reason I am able to post this is because of insomnia a few nights ago. I hope you enjoy the imaginings of my sleep-deprived brain!_

_Disclaimer: Alex Rider is (still) not mine. As much as I would wish otherwise, Anthony Horrowitz is refusing to share!_

_***_

James watched as Cub looked at him blankly.

"Wolf?" he asked, incredulity colouring his voice.

Cub stood, leaning heavily on the tree behind him. James noted with concern that his breathing was shallow and uneven.

"Wh-What are you... No... I-" he paused, obviously confused. "N-No. I have to... to go."

He started to limp out of the clearing. He swayed on his feet and James lunged to catch him.

"No..." mumbled Cub, pushing futilely at James' chest. James ignored him and picked him up effortlessly.

Cub couldn't stay out here. James had been on enough missions to recognise symptoms of blood loss and exposure and even in this dim light it was unmistakable.

James started to move back towards Sebastian. Neil had joined him by now and both of their faces formed expressions of absolute shock when they saw the now-unconscious boy in his arms.

"I'll take him back to the house. I suggest you leave off looking for Missy until the morning. Emma will have gone to bed by now anyway."

Sebastian nodded, but Neil shook his head and said, "I'll just search a bit longer, I don't want Emma to wake up tomorrow with the cat still missing."

James shrugged and turned back towards the house.

***

Maria tried to insist on putting Alex immediately to bed, but Wolf overruled her. He had to change Alex's clothes first, which even Maria agreed to since they were damp with what must have been rain. He didn't tell Maria that he wanted to check out the boy's injuries first too. He was pretty certain that however Cub had got them, his sister wasn't allowed to know.

He carried the unresponsive boy into the bathroom and pulled off the T-shirt. He blinked. The boy had what appeared to be a school tie around his shoulder. It didn't take long for him to find the reason – a two inch cut in a completely straight line across his upper arm. Apparently the kid knew a bit about first aid – enough to fashion a semi-effective tourniquet anyway.

Wolf fumbled with the knot and slowly unwound the tie, wincing at the vicious purple bruise that it revealed. Slowly he cleaned the wound and tied a bandage around it, thankful that he had made sure that the house carried a well stocked first aid kit.

His eyes flittered over the teenager and he scowled at the maze of scars that littered his chest. What the hell had the kid been doing for the last six months?

He shook his head. He couldn't focus on that yet. The kid was still freezing cold. He hastily pulled one of Seb's tops over Cub's head. It was a little big for him, but a better fit than his or Neil's shirts would be.

He sighed as he pulled off the kids trousers. Cub would probably kill him for this later, he thought wryly. Teenagers were incredibly bashful.

His train of thought was immediately cut off by the sight of the blood soaked remains of what appeared to be a school shirt. He swore. Blood was oozing out from underneath the makeshift bandage.

Quickly he ripped it off and began to clean the wound. Again, it was perfectly straight. Wolf frowned; it looked as if some madman had gone after him with a knife.

"Shit. Shit. Shit," he muttered, trying to stop the bleeding. "SEB!" he yelled.

"WHAT?!" came the reply.

"GET YOUR ARSE IN HERE! I NEED YOUR HELP!"

Seb appeared at the door and Wolf motioned him over.

"You better know something about healing wounds after that fancy university course," growled Wolf.

The doctor-in-training paled as he looked at the wound and quickly crossed to the first aid kit. He unwrapped a sterilised needle and a reel of thread. Wolf blinked. Apparently he wasn't the only one adding to the kit.

Wolf looked away as his brother began to sew up the wound.

When he was done and had wrapped a bandage firmly around the wound, they dressed him in a pair of loose tracksuit bottoms and carried him into Wolf's bed. Wolf would share a room with Sebastian tonight, when he wasn't watching over Cub.

Somewhere between Cub kicking him out of a plane and finding him in the woods, Wolf had accepted Cub as a member of the team and Wolf was very protective of his team. Wolfs thought drifted back to the kid's scars... and the one that had been conspicuous in its absence. There was no way that the kid had had appendicitis.

He groaned and massaged his forehead with one large hand. He hated mysteries.

***

The first thing Alex noticed when he woke up was the smooth feeling of sheets against his skin. He couldn't remember why, but something told him he should not be waking up to this. Instantly alert, he lifted his head and looked around. It was dark outside, though the room itself was brightly lit.

"You're finally awake then?" said an unfamiliar voice.

Alex's head whipped around. "Who are you and how did I get here?" he said, hoarsely.

"Here," said the man, handing him a glass of water. "You must be thirsty."

Alex eyed the water suspiciously and didn't drink.

"What?" asked the man, obviously amused. "You think I poisoned it or something?"

Alex stayed silent.

The man quirked an eyebrow. "Please don't tell me you do. You're worse than James!"

"Who's James and who are you?" reiterated Alex.

"I'm Sebastian. James is my brother, he found you bleeding to death in the woods out back the day before yesterday. Care to tell me how you got those wounds?"

Alex took in details about the man. He wasn't with Scorpia, or he wouldn't have tried to heal the wounds from the bullets and he wouldn't have had to ask. But just because he wasn't with Scorpia, didn't mean he was on Alex's side. Alex guessed he was about 20, or just under and was wearing an Oxford University hoody, the deep blood red showed off a perfect olive complexion and a head of chocolate brown curls. With his Hispanic good looks, he reminded Alex of someone he couldn't place, though the carefree smile and laughing eyes seemed alien to Alex. The accent was familiar too, though Alex could not say why.

"I guess that's a no then?" said Sebastian wryly. "How about telling me why you were in the woods in the first place? Or how you got there?"

Alex frowned. He didn't remember any woods. The last thing he remembered was the conductor saying he had to get off the train. After that... Nothing.

Sebastian must have seen the confusion in his eyes because he said "Guess you can't remember, huh? Don't worry- apparently it's a common side effect of exposure and blood loss."

Alex growled angrily. He didn't like being out of control and that's exactly what this felt like. He sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed.

"Oh no you don't!" exclaimed Sebastian. "You're not going anywhere just yet!"

"And you think you're going to stop me?" asked Alex threateningly.

It didn't quite have the effect he was hoping for though - Sebastian merely laughed. "God, you really are as bad as James! And no, I'm not going to stop you. That is." He pointed to something behind Alex.

Alex turned around to see an IV drip, with a tube running into his arm.

"By rights you should have been in hospital, but James put his foot down. Something about how it could be more dangerous for you there than here. So I called in a favour with a friend. Being in medical school does have its advantages I suppose."

Alex sank back into the pillows and groaned. Did this guy ever shut up?

A voice called from outside the room, echoing his thoughts. "For Gods' sake Seb! Shut up already. You're giving me a migraine!"

The door opened and Alex gaped.

"Wolf?" he asked incredulously.

Wolf frowned. "Who else did you think it was going to be after I found you almost unconscious last night?"

"He doesn't remember that, bro," said Sebastian.

Wolf paused and turned to look at Sebastian. "Bro?" he asked. "God, Seb you're getting worse, I swear."

Seb grinned, unrepentant.

Alex was getting slightly scared. This was Wolf. This was Wolf's brother. They were being, and his brain cringed at the word, nice. What on _earth_ was going on?

He didn't bother trying to work it out. He had to get out of here.

"Well this is all very nice, but I have to go, so if you could please disconnect this," he gestured to the tube, "and return my clothes, I'll get out of your hair."

Both brothers turned to him, surprised.

"You're not going anywhere," replied Wolf firmly.

"You can't stop me," pointed out Alex.

"Like hell I can't" growled Wolf.

"Actually..." began Sebastian, nervously. "I don't think you can James. He is just like you and _you _could definitely get out when you were his age."

Wolf scowled. "Keep an eye on him. I'm going to make a call about this."

Alex sat straight up in bed. "Who are you calling?" he asked, suspiciously.

"Your bosses," said Wolf shortly.

"No!" shouted Alex, leaping out of bed, ignoring the uncomfortable tug of the IV. "You can't!"

"Why not?" asked Sebastian, curiously. Alex flicked his eyes to him then looked pleadingly at Wolf.

Wolf looked back. They stared at each other for a long moment then Wolf turned to his brother.

"Seb?" he said quietly. "Could you give us a moment? Me and C- look kid, what is your real name? I can't keep calling you Cub all the time, and I sure as Hell can't remember."

"Alex," he muttered. "It's Alex."

"Could you give me and Alex a moment?"

Seb nodded and left the room. Alex was momentarily surprised by the lack of comment. Apparently there was more to Sebastian than he had originally thought.

Wolf crossed to Sebastian's recently vacated seat as the door closed. "Why don't you want me to call them?" he asked.

Alex sighed. "I just don't ok?"

Wolf looked at him piercingly, but didn't question further. "I'll make you a deal. You stay here until Sebastian and I agree that you are better, and I won't call either of our bosses without your say so."

Alex looked at Wolf. It was the best offer he would get and he was smart enough to realise that.

"Ok."

Wolf actually smiled, scaring Alex more than ever. "Good. Now go back to sleep. Seb will kill me if I harm his patient. He's almost worse than Snake already; I dread what he's going to be like when he _finishes_ his course!"

Alex gave him a weak smile and lay back on the pillows as Wolf walked out of the door. It was completely _humiliating_ being condemned to bed rest and even _more_ so being condemned to bed rest by _Wolf, _but at the moment it looked like he didn't have a choice. Not unless he wanted MI6 to find out where he was. And Alex knew that that wasn't an option. That would _never_ be an option.

***

_A/N: Ok so yeah... there isn't much explosion/enemy related action in this chapter, and I don't think there will be for a few chapters more, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway! If you did – and even if you didn't – leave a review to tell me so!_


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: See? I said I'd update on Friday and I'm updating on Friday! Aren't you proud of me?_

_Anyway... enjoy!_

_DISCLAIMER: Still, sadly, not mine. *pout*_

***

It was light when he woke again. The grogginess he had successfully ignored last time had gone, as had the IV, he noted, leaving just a small bruise on his arm. Cautiously he swung his legs out of bed and crossed to the door.

There was noise coming from somewhere within the house, some kind of metallic banging and clashing mixed with rumours of laughter. Ever curious, Alex slipped out of the door and headed towards the commotion. The house was large and rambling, though none of the rooms were of an immense size. Instead they were small and cosy, with the perfect blend of modern and antique that somehow seemed completely accidental. It was a house that had grown rather than been built or designed. It displayed an incredible clash of personalities that had moulded together seamlessly to form a house that was not only warm and inviting but also beautiful and ordered, despite the mess. Alex thought he could recognise a touch of Wolf in the rooms he walked through: a comfy, faded burnt-orange sofa in a sunny room, a simple coffee table, its surface unvarnished, just waxed enough to bring out the wood's own beauty. His aspect was functional and useable, and somehow provided the backbone of a room. Alex didn't know Sebastian very well, but he was willing to bet that the many vibrant throws and rugs that littered the house were his doing. They added disorder and warmth and a sparkling personality to each of the rooms, building on the functionality and turning a house into a home that one could sink into and feel comfortable in. Wolf on his own could never have achieved that, and Sebastian could never have survived here without the structure that was Wolf.

It was amazing, mused Alex, how much insight a house can give into its occupants.

He arrived at the top of a flight of old wooden stairs that had been carefully covered with a loose fitted deep red carpet and polished until they shone at the edges. He descended slowly, not noticing how he trod at the very edge of the steps by the wall, not realising he was trying to avoid creaking and be as silent as possible.

A few steps from the bottom, his injured leg suddenly gave out. Alex landed with a loud thump in a heap at the bottom of the stairs.

He swore violently and tried to push his now bruised and aching body into a sitting position.

There was a gentle, quiet laugh behind him. He twisted his neck around and saw a woman standing in a doorway a little to the left of the stairs.

"You must be Alex," she smiled. She had the same smile as Sebastian, but somehow warmer and more comforting. She had the same skin and the dancing brown eyes, though the keen intelligence Alex had noted in Sebastian's was tempered here with the same motherly warmth as in her smile and her hair was blond, unlike Sebastian's and Wolf's dark brown. She held a batter-covered ladle in one hand while the other rested gently on her hip. "I'm Maria, James' sister. You had us all worried, taking so long to wake up. I can't tell you how relieved I was when Sebastian said you had last night."

Alex slowly clambered to his feet, wincing as he put pressure on the cut on his leg. He eyed her warily. He had never met her before, and yet she was treating him like a member of the family or close friend. He didn't think he had ever had anyone react to him like that. Sure, Jack fussed over him, but she was so close to him in age that she was more like a sister to him. Maria was treating him more like a- a... Well, he didn't quite know what, but not the same way Jack treated him.

If anything Maria's smile only widened at his close scrutiny.

"Sebastian said you were like James, always taking in the details. Come on, I'm making pancakes and there is definitely enough for you as well."

Alex followed her cautiously through to the kitchen. It was a surprisingly sunny room, with one wall given over to windows allowing the sun to stream through. At the table sat Sebastian and two small children. The girl was sitting on his knee, her fly-away dark hair occasionally tickling his nose, causing it to twitch. The boy, clinging avidly to his knee obviously found this hilarious as he was giggling uncontrollably.

"Uncle 'Bastian?" said the boy, he trailed off at the end of 'Bastian, dropping the N entirely in his childish whine. "Why can't you come and visit us more often?"

"Don't be silly, Jaime," said the girl bossily. "You know Uncle is studying in Oxford. He's going to be a doctor!"

"Sorry, tyke," grinned Sebastian, "but your sister's right. I'll get kicked out if I spend all my time with you, and anyway, you would get bored of me after a few weeks!"

Both the children erupted into emphatic denials and Alex smiled at their antics.

"Alex!" exclaimed Sebastian, when he finally spotted him. "Have you met my niece and nephew?"

Alex shook his head then paused as both of the children's heads turned towards him.

"You're Alex?" asked Jaime, his eyes shining with excitement. Alex was suddenly reminded of Sebastian and his eyes widened in horror. He was exceptionally glad that Jaime was so young right now. Two of Sebastian would surely spell disaster.

"I'm Jaime and I'm five. That is Emma. She's my sister and she's eight. She's taller than me and it's not fair because she can run faster than I can and-"

Maria interrupted his babbling with a well timed call that pancakes were ready. Alex turned and had five plates shoved into his hand. He placed them on the table and sat down as Maria, complete with batter on her cheek, brought over a large stack of pancakes. The others all dug in enthusiastically and Alex took one as well. He tried not to notice that he waited until Maria took a bite to start his. He hoped no-one else had seen.

"Daddy said that Uncle Jamie found you in the woods. Why were you in the woods?" Alex started slightly at being addressed by the eight-year-old and tried to work out a safe answer to the question. Because he was running away so he couldn't hurt anyone? Probably not a good idea. He was rational enough to realise that to others it would seem completely irrational.

"I felt like a walk," he said. Only Sebastian and Maria realised that he was obviously lying, but they didn't push him on it.

"And Dad said you were hurt. How did you get hurt?"It was Jaime this time. Alex was surprised by how closely their questions mirrored each other. Again, the truth was out of the question. Wolf would definitely call MI6 then, deal or no deal.

"I fell over."

Sebastian choked a bit on the pancake he had just bitten into, but no comment was forthcoming.

"How old are you?" Alex rolled his eyes. The kids were insatiable.

"Fourteen."

"You're what?" said Wolf's low, flat voice behind him.

***

_A/N: so how do you think Wolf will react to finding out Alex's age? Will Alex manage to cut him off?_

_Anyways... REVIEW! FEED THE HUNGRY AUTHOR!_


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: You know, I'm starting to think I'm getting too good at keeping deadlines. Look, 8.30 on Tuesday morning and I have already updated! Of course, it probably helps that it was already done, unlike so much of my coursework! Anyway... Enjoy!_

_DISCLAIMER: Do you really think I'm Anthony Horowitz? Raise your hand on pain of death. I am NOT a middle aged man!_

***

Alex frowned slightly and turned to Wolf. "I thought you knew that."

"Obviously not," snarled Wolf.

Alex shrugged.

"A _fourteen-year-old _is working as a s-"

"Wolf!" hissed Alex warningly.

Wolf shut up, glowering at Alex.

"We need to talk about this," he growled.

"No. We don't," corrected Alex. "There is nothing you can do about it, so what would be the point?"

Wolf scowled.

The tense, awkward silence lasted until they had finished breakfast. Alex offered to stay behind and clear up. Maria smiled and thanked him. Wolf, still glowering, and Maria ushered the children from the room, while Sebastian grabbed a tea towel to dry the plates as Alex washed them.

They worked in companionable silence, quickly washing, drying and putting away the plates. Alex was just cleaning the mixing bowl when there was a loud thump behind him.

He spun around, automatically dropping into a Karate fighting stance, hands raised, ready to strike. A woman stood by the kitchen door. She had just dropped a duffel bag on the floor – obviously the cause of the thump.

"Silvia!" called Sebastian, happily. "I thought you weren't arriving until tonight?"

"My conference finished early, so I caught the earlier flight," she explained, her eyes never leaving Alex's tense face. "Who is this?" she asked, quietly.

"Oh! Sorry, this is Alex. He is- well, I don't know what he is. James knows him and he somehow managed to turn up in the woods half frozen to death on Wednesday, so for the moment he is my patient."

"If he was ill enough to still be here, why isn't he in hospital? Why isn't he staying with his parents at least?"

Alex stiffened even more at the mention of his parents, not helped by her deliberately harsh tone.

"I- err..." Sebastian looked awkward. In all honesty he didn't know why Alex was here – just that James had said he was staying until he was better. "Ask James," he replied, lamely. "Actually, Alex, shouldn't you call your parents or something? Won't they be worried about you?"

"They're dead," said Alex, emotionlessly.

Sebastian blanched, but Silvia was just as cold and unmoved as before.

"What about the rest of your family? Or whoever looks after you?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Alex gritted his teeth. Was she really going to make him spell it out?

"My Uncle died about six months ago. As far as I am aware I have no other living relatives. Jack- my err... housekeeper I guess you could say- knew I was going away for a while. She won't be expecting a call."

He couldn't quite bring himself to say she wouldn't be worried; it was a downright lie – she would be frantic by now.

Alex looked away from Sebastian, unwilling to see the pity there. Instead he finished washing the bowl and placed it on the draining board, before walking calmly out of the kitchen.

***

He passed the day in a small library at the back of the house, reading a dusty copy of _"A midsummer night's dream"_, the Shakespearean play he was supposed to be studying for his GCSE exam. He guessed it didn't matter anymore as he wasn't going back, but old habits die hard and Alex had spent the last six months studying whenever he could.

He was undisturbed, except for Maria popping in about lunch time with a sandwich. He smiled gratefully. It surprised him to find that he was actually hungry. Normally he didn't eat much, and often went several days without eating anything on missions, but today he was _starving_. It probably had something to do with "half freezing to death" as Sebastian put it.

After returning the plate to the kitchen, he immediately immersed himself back into the world of fairies and dreams. It made a nice change from reality.

It had gone dark when Sebastian popped his head around the door to tell Alex to come to dinner. As he led the way to the kitchen, Sebastian told him stories about their antics as children. It made Alex laugh to hear of Wolf getting into fights with boys twice his age, and then unable to understand why he couldn't beat them. He also discovered that the family had gathered here for a reunion of sorts, he immediately began apologising for intruding and offering to leave again (secretly hoping that Sebastian would say yes) but he was wave away.

"Maria loves looking after people; the more people the better according to her. It's no hassle having you here. Actually, I'm glad you're here, normally I'm the kid of the family – well, apart from Jaime and Emma – but now they have you as well and I'm not the only one in full time education."

Alex snorted. His education was hardly full-time; he spent more time out of school than in it.

They entered the kitchen to find it full. Emma and James were sitting on the counter, digging into bowls of spaghetti. Wolf, Maria and an older woman Alex didn't recognise were at the table, along with Silvia and another man, who – judging from the close resemblance between him and Emma – was Maria's husband.

Sebastian made the introductions. "You already know my siblings and their... offspring." He gave Emma and Jaime a hard look that had them giggling hysterically from their perch. "The man next to Silvia is Neil, Maria's husband. And the beautiful woman sitting between James and Maria is our gorgeous mother, Eleanor."

Eleanor swotted her youngest son with a napkin as he walked past. He simply grinned and pressed a kiss to her raised cheek. Alex quickly found a plate pressed into his hand and sat between Sebastian and Wolf.

"Where is _Abuela_?" asked Sebastian.

Alex cocked his head. Their grandmother was here as well?

"She's sleeping," replied Wolf, gruffly. "I called her earlier, but she said she wasn't hungry."

The conversation moved on and Alex basked in the alien feeling of family.

"So, Alex," broke in Silvia. "Why were you in the woods?"

The babble of conversation from the rest of the family died out. There was a moment's silence.

"Now, Silvia. We'll have none of that, thank you. You know the rule."

Silvia's lips tightened and she turned back to her pasta.

Alex leaned over to Sebastian. "What rule is she talking about?"

"James is a member of the SAS. We know this, but he can't tell us most of what he does, so we made a rule. He tells us what he can, and we don't press him for answers he can't give. The same rule applies to anyone who calls him Wolf. So although we are all fascinated with _why _a fourteen year old knows him as Wolf, we aren't going to ask."

Alex smiled gratefully, but Silvia's voice once again made him tense.

"So how did your parents die?"

Alex clenched his teeth. "Plane crash."

"And your uncle?"

"Car accident," he said, forcing his voice to remain calm.

"It must have been a bad accident, for him to die!" she exclaimed, her face overly innocent.

A muscle twitched in Alex's jaw. "He wasn't wearing his seat belt," he spat.

"That was-"

"Oh just shut up already!" exclaimed Wolf. "Haven't you interrogated him enough? I thought you had more tact." He pushed his chair back and stood in anger

Silvia tensed, looking just as angry. She rose to match Wolf. "This kid turns up out of nowhere, obviously hurt and we don't know how, or who did it. You barely know anything about him and we know even less, and yet you just expect us to trust him! What if he is dangerous? What if he hurts Emma or Jaime?!"

_What if he's dangerous? What if he hurts Emma or Jaime?_

The words circled around Alex's head. What was he doing here? Did he really want to hurt someone else? _Stupid, stupid, stupid! _He berated himself. He should have let Wolf call MI6 and just got out of here before they turned up. He should _not_ have made a deal with him.

He stood up, causing Silvia and Wolf to stop yelling and look at him, along with everyone else.

Alex swallowed, nervous under the close scrutiny.

"Wolf," he began awkwardly. "She's right. It's fine. I'll... I'll just go."

"You're not going anywhere until you're better, Cub," said Wolf firmly, frowning at him.

"So you would pick him over your own family now?!" exclaimed Silvia.

"When you're acting irrationally, then yes!" yelled Wolf.

"Irrational?! How is this irrational? I just don't want to see my niece get hurt!"

Alex caught Eleanor's eye pleadingly and she nodded. Gratefully, he ducked out of the kitchen and returned to the room where he had woken up. He just made things worse for everyone. Even when he wasn't physically hurting people, he was causing arguments. His angry, depressing train of thought was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Brooding doesn't tend to suit teenagers," came Maria's reproachful voice, "and you're no exception."

Alex turned to look at the woman standing in the doorway and sighed moodily.

"I thought you might like to talk."

***

_Please review... It'll really spur me on to write!_


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: So yeah... I meant to update this on Friday, and to be honest I don't know why I didn't. It was finished and spell checked and everything! I even had time to do so! I just kind of didn't... strange, huh? Ah well I'm updating now, enjoy!_

_DISCLAIMER: If I owned Alex Rider, none of you would be reading this online now, would you?_

***

"I didn't mean to cause an argument," muttered Alex.

"No-one thinks you did," said Maria, kindly. "Silvia..." she paused. "Sebastian told you about the rule, right?"

Alex nodded.

"Well, Silvia always had problems with it. She has just as much stubbornness as the rest of us, and twice the curiosity. The rest of us are willing to stay curious, in order to keep our family together, but Silvia thinks the secrets are driving us apart."

She sighed. "It's not the secrets... She took our father's death hard, and ever since she has been obsessed with becoming successful... He was always so proud of her for going to law school. I think she thinks that it will make him happy if she is the best. But she is pushing us away because of it. What she thinks are the secrets dividing us, is really her pushing everyone away."

She looked at Alex carefully. "It's not your fault, you know. If you hadn't been here, Silvia and James would probably have argued anyway."

Alex nodded slowly, not really convinced, but not about to let Maria know that.

"Good," she murmured. "Will you come down for desert?"

Alex smiled at her, but excused himself, claiming he was too tired. The excuse still bore weight - after all he had been bedridden until this morning - so she simply smiled at him and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.

***

Wolf sent one final glare at Silvia and stormed out of the kitchen, muttering angrily under his breath.

He stalked through the maze of rooms, unaware of where his feet were carrying him until he found himself outside an old oak door.

Sighing, he knocked.

"Come on in, James. I was wondering when you would come and see me."

Wolf smiled and ducked into the room. His grandmother was sitting in a chair by the window, looking out over the fields, a cup of steaming tea clenched in her delicate, wrinkled hands

"Abuela," he greeted her, pressing a kiss to her papery cheek.

"Sit down, James. Why don't you tell me about this wonderful boy you brought home?"

"Brought home?" he smiled. "You make him sound like a stray dog."

"Isn't he?" she asked. "No living relatives and his only guardian is his housekeeper. Sounds like a stray to me."

"Maria came to talk to you earlier, didn't she?" he guessed.

"Sebastian actually – while you and Silvia were arguing." She gave Wolf a reproachful look. "Though he said that Maria was worried as well. Apparently they think the boy has no instinct of self-preservation. And he is suspicious of everyone."

Wolf blinked. He hadn't thought that Sebastian would be overly concerned, he was normally just a prankster, well meaning but lacking empathy.

"You're worried about him too," she stated and he nodded.

"I just... I don't know why he's... doing what he is." He skirted the topic carefully, mindful that it was almost certainly classified. "I mean... he obviously hates his bosses. He shrinks from all human interaction, especially the kids. It's not like he even just doesn't like young children, because I've seen him laughing at their antics – hell he's just a child himself! It's almost like he's scared to be around them."

"Maybe he is."

"What do you mean?" asked Wolf, confused.

"He ran away from home, James. I know you've worked that much out. He's obviously in trouble, and he acts like he thinks it's contagious. From what Sebastian told me, he's desperate to leave, with no thought of personal health, despite the fact that he is obviously happy here."

Wolf nodded slowly. "You think he wants to leave so that he doesn't bring this 'trouble' here too?"

"That's exactly what I think."

"So you agree with Silvia, that he should leave?!" exclaimed Wolf, suddenly irrationally angry.

"Sit _down_ James," ordered Maiara. He sat, pulled up short mid rant by the annoyance in her tone.

"That is most definitely _not_ what I think. Of course he should stay here. He's part of the family now."

Wolf's mouth fell open slightly. "Part of the family?" he asked, incredulously.

"Yes. Part of the family."

"Abuela, you're being ridiculous. He's been here for three days!"

"So? You treat him like family."

"I- I- no, I don't!" he denied. "I treat him like part of my team!"

"Really?" said Maiara, raising an eyebrow. "And if Snake, or Eagle, had been found in a similar state to Alex, and they had begged you not to call your bosses, would you have bargained with them, or would you have done what you thought was best?"

Wolf opened his mouth, then closed it again, realising he didn't really have anything to say.

"You treat him in a similar way as you do Emma and Jaime."

Wolf frowned slightly. He didn't think he treated Cub like that at all.

Maiara spoke again. "In fact I'd go as far as to say you treat him in the same way as your father treated you."

Wolf blinked, and then exploded. "Are you crazy?" he yelled, forgetting for the moment that he was talking to the matriarch of his family. "He's barely ten years younger than me! I'd have had to have fathered him in primary school!"

Maiara lifted her cup of tea to her lips and took a sip before replying, calmly, "What does that have to do with anything?"

Wolf shut up and stared at her, slightly wild around the eyes.

"Family is more than just a biological imperative, James. You should know that by now," she berated him.

James sighed and bowed his head.

"I know."

"That child is part of this family, and he and you are the only people that don't seem to realise it!"

***

Wolf left his grandmothers room, with a new uncomfortable feeling settling inside his chest. Did he really treat Cub as a son? He didn't think so. He had kind of taken it as a given when he joined the SAS that he would be unlikely to have children and he wasn't especially keen on having them anyway. He loved his family, but he could barely keep his plants alive let alone a baby. He had decided a long time ago that he was singularly unsuited to fatherhood.

So why did he have to go and start acting like one with _Cub_ of all people?

_Perhaps, _a small, treacherous voice whispered in the back of his mind, _because you realised that Cub doesn't _have_ anyone else to act like that with him. Perhaps because he _needs_ you._

Bugger.

He had better go and talk to the damn kid. This was going to be _extremely _awkward.

***

_A/N: So yeah... not exactly an action-packed chapter I know, but there were some things that I guess needed saying, and I had to give Silvia _some _reason for being a complete b*tch now, didn't I? Though I have to admit... after this I couldn't help but draw some parallels between her and Alex...though I am inclined to think that it's more justified in his case._

_So yeah... Love it? Hate it? Review and TELL ME!_


	7. Chapter 7

_DISCLAIMER: I had a dream that little green men came floating into my room with the rights of Alex Rider as a welcome gift. Unfortunately it wasn't real; they only brought flowers._

***

Alex was sitting on his bed reading when Wolf knocked on the door. He looked awkward, with his head bent slightly to fit under the low doorframe.

Alex motioned for him to come in, placing the book – to kill a mockingbird, another one for school – on the bedside table. Wolf self-consciously took a seat on the edge of the bed.

"I thought we better talk," he said.

Alex stayed silent so Wolf ploughed on regardless.

"Back at Beacons... I thought you were a joke... some kid with a father in MI6. But you kept up just fine, even if I refused to admit it. It wasn't until you kicked me out of the plane that I realised you may be something more than just a spoilt little rich kid. Then at that school..." Wolf trailed off shuddering.

"I guess... I guess I'm trying to say that you've earned my respect, Cub."

"Is that why you sent me that card?" asked Alex, curiously.

Wolf grimaced. "Yeah, I guess so. Bloody embarrassing to write that was."

Alex grinned at him, "yeah well, was definitely the most interesting card I got... had a hell of a time explaining to the nurses why it had come from Baghdad!"

Wolf smiled, the suddenly frowned as something occurred to him. "We were told you were in hospital with appendicitis... But... Well, you didn't have appendicitis did you?"

Alex froze momentarily. If Wolf hadn't been looking out for it, he never would have spotted it.

"Cub?"

"No. I wasn't," said Alex quietly.

"Are you going to tell me what did happen?"

Alex looked up. "I don't think I am. Maybe someday, but not right now. Sorry, Wolf."

James nodded. He was slightly annoyed that the kid wouldn't tell him, but he was smart enough to realise that pushing the subject wouldn't get him anywhere.

"So are you going to tell me why you ran away, then?"

This time Alex stiffened completely, before leaping from the bed and crossing to the far side of the room, obviously trying to put as much distance between them as possible.

"Why do you think that?" he asked, his voice harsh and defensive.

Wolf looked at him. "I'm not stupid, Cub. I can tell something is wrong here."

Alex turned away, pretending to be fascinated by the titles on the shelf.

Wolf crossed silently to his side. Reaching out, he laid a comforting hand on Alex's shoulder.

He never saw the kid move. Alex's foot connected with Wolf's nose, and there was a resounding crack.

Wolf swore colourfully, staggering back. There was no doubt that it was broken.

"Shit!" exclaimed Alex, grabbing a pack of tissues from the bedside table.

"What the fuck was that?" growled Wolf.

Alex avoided his gaze and busied himself with wiping up the blood.

"Well?" he snarled.

"I'm sorry. It was an accident."

"An accident?!" exclaimed Wolf. "You broke my nose; how is that an accident?!"

"I told you I shouldn't stay here!" shouted Alex. "I'm dangerous. Silvia was right. I should just go!"

Wolf, once again, found his anger had inexplicably vanished. Cub needed some serious help. Whoever had recruited him for this should be shot.

"No," said Wolf firmly. "Your safer here than elsewhere."

"Yeah, but I'm putting all of you in danger! What if next time it's not you? What if it's Jaime or Emma?!"

"You're not leaving, Cub," said Wolf firmly. "That is an order as team leader."

Alex snorted. "Pulling rank on me now, huh?"

"Whatever works," said Wolf unabashedly.

"Too bad I'm no good at listening to orders," said Alex, heading for the door.

"I can still call MI6 if I have to, Cub," called Wolf.

Alex paused at the door, weighing his options. On the one hand, he could walk out of this door and leave. It would be safer for Wolf and his family. It would also mean that MI6 would almost certainly find him and drag him back to London, which would put a lot more people in danger. On the other hand, he could keep his agreement with Wolf. MI6 wouldn't find him, and he could avoid Wolf's family as much as physically possible to keep them safe.

Alex sighed, it looked as if his mind was made up.

"Fine," he growled, stalking back into the room and sitting on the bed. He refused to talk again, and simply glared at Wolf until the older man rose and left. He was so distracted that he didn't notice Wolf slipping something into his pocket on his way out.

***

Wolf sighed and brought out Alex's mobile. It hadn't moved from the chest of drawers where Wolf had placed it when he had first found Alex. It wasn't a particularly new model, in fact Wolf had a feeling that Alex used it only for communication, so unlike other people his age. It made Wolf sad that the kid had such an adult approach.

He sighed and pulled up the phonebook. There were only five entries. Two of them were quite clearly labelled 'school' and 'doctors'. Wolf skipped past them. The other three entries were Jack Tom and Sabina. Jack was first on the list and Wolf hit the call button.

It didn't ring for long.

"Alex?" answered a panicked female voice.

"No, this is James san Luca. Am I right in thinking that you are Alex's guardian?"

"Yeah," came that same frantic voice. "Do you know where he is? Is he ok? Why do you have his phone?"

"He is here, at my house. He is fine, now, apart from a slight tendency to want to run away from everyone."

He heard Jack give a sigh of relief and smiled. She obviously did care for him.

"Would you like to come over? You might be able to persuade him to come home."

"Of course!" replied Jack, immediately. "If you could just tell me the address..."

***

Ten minutes later, Wolf was walking through the kitchen when the door bell rang. He sighed. He had wanted to find Maria and ask her to keep an eye out for Jack, but at the insistent ringing he changed his course and opened the door.

"What are you doing here?!" he exclaimed, surprised.

"Oh, we heard you were over here and thought we would come and visit," said Fox, grinning.

"Really?" said Wolf, raising an eyebrow. "And this has nothing to do with my sister's cooking?"

Fox shrugged, unabashed. "What can we say? She's a better cook than you!"

***

The Asian man walked down a familiar dark hall. You could see the excitement in his step.

"Sir?" he called, knocking on the door.

"What is it?"

"We've found him."

***

_A/N: Ok so it's a short chapter, but look on the bright side, next chapter you have K-Unit! Please review._


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N: Ok, so I realised last time, I forgot to credit Amitai with James san Luca as Wolf's name. Her In Loco Parentis was one of the first fics I read on here, and it kind of decided to fit as Wolf's name in my head... others just seem weird now, so yeah... her name, not mine. Anyways, in other news, I have a one shot and five chapters to follow Duty to the Dead... but I can't post them until I get home as my school internet blocks the topic choice page... don't know why. So yeah... if anyone is waiting for that... try on the 23__rd__ – 24__th__ of May... sorry quite a long wait from now. Anyway... onto the chapter..._

_... or not._

_DISCLAIMER: I tried to bribe Anthony Horowitz with chocolates and roses... but he still wouldn't give them to me... so still all his. *pout*_

_Now onto the story..._

***

Despite his best intentions, Alex had left his room. He was, in a word, _bored_ and was out searching for something to do. He hoped he wouldn't run into anyone.

He heard voices coming from the small library where he had been heading and turned back, not wanting to meet anyone. His luck had once again abandoned him though, for when he turned around Wolf was walking down the corridor with a tray of drinks.

"Ventured out of your room, have you?" he grunted, smiling slightly – the sight still creeped Alex out slightly if he was honest, though he tried not to show it. Wolf's nose had been set as well from the looks of it. Alex guessed that having a doctor in the family was pretty useful.

Alex shrugged in answer to the rhetoric question and tried to slip past him, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"Don't do that, Alex. There are some people I want you to meet."

"But...!" exclaimed Alex, trying to back away.

"No but's," growled Wolf. "Now come on."

Alex sighed in defeat and began to warily approach the partly open door. There were voices on the other side, familiar voices. But it wasn't until he heard the voice of Ben Daniels that he managed to place them.

Instantly he shied away from the door as if it were a viper.

"No!" he exclaimed, turning on Wolf.

Wolf frowned, "Come on, Cub, they're not that bad."

Alex let out a disbelieving snort and began to move away from the door, but his exclamation had attracted the attention of the room's occupants who were now all crowding around the door.

"Cub!" exclaimed Snake. "What are you doing here?"

Alex glared at Wolf, who simply smiled back. "Sadist," he muttered.

Wolf grinned and pushed him forward. "Found him outside about three days ago, almost unconscious in the woods. He still hasn't said why." He sent Alex a glare. Alex ignored him. He was _not_ about to tell them that.

Eagle reached over and took the drinks from Wolf and Alex quickly found him hustled inside the room and seated on the sofa next to Ben. He smiled at the older man slightly, and Ben winked back, before turning back to his team mates.

Alex blinked at the sight in front of him. Snake was sitting in an armchair – that was fairly normal at least. Wolf was sitting on a small table with his feet up on the back of Snake's chair and his shoulders against the wall, Alex could just about understand that. But Eagle had somehow managed to climb up onto the top of the two metre tall bookcases and was lying there with his chin resting on his hands.

"So, Cub," he began. "How did you end up here?"

Alex sighed. He wasn't going to get away with 'he felt like a walk' this time. "Bad luck, I guess. Hopped on a train in London and fell asleep. Conductor woke me up and chucked me off the train."

"_Bad_ luck?" repeated Wolf incredulously. "If I hadn't found you, you would almost certainly be dead by now!"

Alex shrugged awkwardly and turned his face away.

"Cub..." began Snake awkwardly. "That mission at that school... that was a onetime thing right?"

Alex shifted uncomfortably.

"Not exactly," he muttered.

"So how many missions have you been on?" asked Eagle curiously.

"Classified," said Alex.

Wolf scowled.

Fox grinned. "That was his second mission. His first was something to do with those Stormbreaker computers. He has done seven missions, assuming that he hasn't done more since then."

Alex glared at him. "How do _you _know that?" he growled.

"I've seen your file, remember, Cub? Though... there is barely anything in there about your missions after Point Blanc..." Fox trailed off, frowning slightly. "Nothing in fact, just the number."

"Why have you seen his file?" asked Snake curiously.

"Ah... erm... you see..." he stammered, looking desperately at Alex.

"Classified," smirked Alex.

"Liar," accused Wolf.

Fox caved under his former leader's glare. "I was on a mission in Australia with him," he finally admitted.

"Hold on... back up," said Snake. "Wasn't that the mission you got shot on? I thought you said it was the hardest one you've done?"

Fox nodded.

"And they sent a TEENAGER on it?!" exclaimed Snake, angrily. "What were they thinking?!"

Alex shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Luckily, it hadn't occurred to them to question him yet.

"Oh, lay off, Snake," called Eagle.

"Lay off?" asked Snake incredulously. "Don't you think that there is anything _wrong_ with them asking Cub to do this?"

"Of course I do," snapped Eagle impatiently, "but I'm smart enough to realise that yelling about it is not going to do anything except make Fox feel guilty and Cub try to slip away."

Alex cursed. He had indeed been trying to slip out of the door, but as four pairs of eyes settled on him he gave up and took his seat again.

"Sorry, Cub," muttered Snake.

Alex shrugged. "It's fine."

Wolf had remained curiously silent throughout this exchange, and when Alex glanced at him, he was wearing an expression of barely repressed fury underneath his usual stony exterior.

"You know, Cub," said Eagle, obviously trying to change the subject and break the awkward silence that had descended. "There is something I have always wanted to congratulate you for."

Alex looked up, surprised. "Congratulate me?" he asked, curiously. "For what?"

"For kicking Wolf out of a plane. I never thought I'd meet anyone with that kind of guts!"

Alex grinned. "Honestly," he said, wide eyed and innocent. "It wasn't payback, I swear!"

Eagle, Snake and Fox all roared with laughter as Wolf flushed and muttered about 'goddamn cheeky teenagers'.

***

They talked for what seemed like hours, the soldiers reminiscing about their time in training – especially the morning after Cub had left and the four had been yelled at for hours about stealing – having no idea what he was talking about until he withdrew a familiar, rather battered, box of matches.

They managed to keep straight faces, right up until the point when Eagle had proclaimed innocently, "But, sir! Cub gave them to us!"

According to them the sergeant's face had been classic. He had gone so red that they actually thought he was about to explode, before stalking off and muttering angrily to himself.

"Yeah, I think you might get an earful when you go back, Cub," said Fox, evilly.

"Go back?" said Alex. "Why would I do that? I'm suicidal, not dumb!"

Only Wolf looked slightly worried by this comment. The others burst out laughing, assuming he was joking and, to be fair, he was; Wolf just thought that there might be more to the comment as well. After all, Alex had nearly killed himself once already, and though it was an accident, he had shown every sign of trying to do exactly the same thing again.

There was only one down point in the evening – when Alex brought up Fox's replacement. Apparently, he was called Lynx and had gone missing about a month ago. He was presumed dead.

Slowly, the soldiers – and Alex – drifted off to sleep where they sat. Maria found them on her way to bed and, smiling, turned the light off. They were peacefully unaware of the threat that lurked outside.

***

"In position," whispered a man into a radio in his hand. He was dressed in black body armour and had a gun strapped to his waist.

He stared through the scope of the sniper rifle next to him, flicking on the night vision. In the eerie green light, he could make out the figures of four men and a smaller one that was his target. He centred the crosshairs on the boy's chest.

"Proceed as directed?"

***

_A/N: So there you have it. Chapter 8. So there isn't much action, but there will be next chapter, I promise, in fact from chapter 9 to where I am at the moment in writing (about halfway through chapter 13, but then I have been for about 3 weeks now...) is pretty much all action, so don't complain too much! Lol. Please review and tell me if you liked it!_


	9. Chapter 9

_A/N: Ok, so admit it, I am amazing. Two updates in one week! Enjoy the chapter._

_DISCLAIMER: I am going to own Alex Rider one day, just not yet._

***

Alex lay still in the darkness. He didn't know what had awoken him. Everything was silent, apart from the occasional hoot of an owl, or bark of some woodland creature.

But despite the calm, the hairs on the back of his neck were standing on end. He crossed to the window and looked out. Nothing.

Wait... there, on the roof of the barn... a glint of moonlight on... something.

"Shit!"

Alex threw himself to the side just as a bullet whizzed past, burying itself harmlessly in the floor boards.

He knew what the glint was now: the scope of a sniper rifle, shining in the moonlight.

Fox almost leapt to his feet at Alex's shout and only his hand yanking the man back down stopped him.

"Sniper on the roof," he whispered, before crossing to Wolf and Snake and repeating the news. Eagle jumped down, as nimble and silent as a cat and Alex informed him of the situation.

Silently, Alex slipped out of the door and down the stairs.

Two men were in the sitting room, both wearing black clothes and balaclavas and both carrying guns.

Alex leapt at the nearest one. He went crashing to the ground under Alex's weight and Alex lost no time in wrenching the gun out of his hands. But a kick to the stomach sent Alex flying back into the coffee table with a loud crash.

He stood up just in time to see Wolf run full pelt into his opponent, and Eagle and Fox disarm the other man.

Snake quickly crossed to Alex's side.

"Cub?" he asked worriedly. "Are you ok?"

"Fine," Alex assured him, standing quickly, though he winced slightly as the multiple layers of bruises shifted painfully.

The fight was quickly over. Even Scorpia agents didn't stand a chance against four highly trained SAS men and Alex, though Alex was wondering where the sniper went. His question was soon answered though, when the window behind him shattered and a third man leapt in, grabbed him and held a gun to his head.

He didn't spare a glance for his fallen comrades. Instead, he spoke in a low, authoritative voice. "Drop the guns," he commanded Wolf, who was holding the two guns dropped by the other agents.

Wolf frowned but lay the guns on the ground.

"Hands up and against the wall. All of you. NOW."

The four SAS men slowly moved as they were instructed.

The gun was removed from his head, and Alex tensed as he realised what was going to happen. He was going to shoot them. It was like something out of a bad WW2 movie with a firing squad, except the positions were horribly twisted.

Alex had to act. Just before the man shot, he pushed his arm upwards, causing the bullet to fire into the ceiling, instead of Wolf's chest. Alex wrenched his arm backwards and felt his elbow connect with the man's jaw. The man staggered backwards, releasing Alex, though he kept hold of the gun. Alex span around, lashing out with his foot and slamming it into the man's unsuspecting stomach. As the men bent double, Alex raised his knee to the man's face.

He fell back, unconscious.

Wolf took a shaky breath. "I think it's time that you explained what's going on, Cub."

Alex sighed and slumped down onto the sofa as the SAS men secured the prisoners. Fox went upstairs where Maria was waiting – she was the reason they had been a few seconds behind Alex. They had asked her to stop anyone coming down the stairs, just in case. Alex was glad that they had, when he thought of Jaime and Emma. He shuddered at the thought of what could have happened if they had stumbled upon the fight.

All too soon, from Alex's point of view anyway, the three unconscious men were securely tied and he found himself sitting opposite the entirety of the K-Unit, all of whom had resumed the unfriendly masks he had been used to in training. He swallowed.

"Who are these people?" asked Wolf. "And why do they want to kill you?"

"That's classified," muttered Alex.

"Classified?" exploded Wolf. "You're seriously trying to tell me that three men – men who obviously know what they are doing – broke into my house and tried to _kill _us – not to mention trying to take you out with a sniper - and it is CLASSIFIED? What if they had hurt someone?!"

"I told you I shouldn't stay here!" shouted Alex, leaping to his feet. "I told you it was too dangerous!" he slumped again. "I have to go..." he whispered. "They won't leave you alone until I'm gone... I- I have to go."

"I'll call MI6," threatened Wolf, feeling guilty about using a threat to manipulate the kid, but really, what other choice did he have?

"You do that," said Alex emotionlessly. "You'll need the protection."

He walked out of the room, leaving Wolf to stare after him.

"Well... shit," he said, finally.

"I'd say so," said Fox, white faced. He pointed to the gun. There, in the black metal, was scratched a small, detailed scorpion.

"Scorpia..."

***

In his room, Alex quickly changed into the t-shirt and black trousers he had been wearing when he arrived, noting that they had obviously been repaired and cleaned. He wished he could thank Maria, but at the moment that wasn't such a viable option.

He looked around for his mobile, but didn't see it. Frowning, he left the room to search for it. Eventually he found it in the library, on one of the table's. He guessed he must have left it there earlier. He returned to his room and left through the window.

No-one noticed as he slipped away into the night.

***

Jack pulled up at the house at about ten in the morning. It was made of old, reclaimed brick and had ivy climbing all over it. She smiled, it looked like something out of a story book. She crossed the pebbled driveway to the large green front door and knocked.

Immediately the door was yanked open.

"Miss Starbright?" he asked, clearly distracted.

"Jack, please." She was taken aback slightly by his harried appearance, though she tried not to show it. "And you must be Wolf."

The man nodded. "Come in," he said, gruffly.

"Where's Alex?" asked Jack.

Wolf sighed. "He ran away last night. We're trying to find him as we speak."

Jack stiffened. "He _ran away?"_ she hissed. "How could you just let him run away? How hard can it be for a member of the SAS to keep one fourteen year old boy here for ONE night?!"

Wolf shifted guiltily. "I know. I underestimated him. I'm sorry." His posture took on a new resolve as he continued. "But we are going to find him. Snake, Neil, Sebastian, Eleanor, Maiara and Maria are all out there looking for him as we speak. Fox and Eagle wanted to help, but someone had to escort the Scorpia agent's back to MI6..."

"Scorpia agents?!" exploded Jack. "What were they doing here? How did the find him?!"

"We don't know... but...there is a chance that... is it possible that your phone – or Alex's – has been bugged?"

Jack froze, the blood draining from her face. "L-last month... I lost my phone for a day... It turned up that night – I didn't think anything of it! I mean – I lose stuff all the time! Oh god..."

"Well... that's it then," said Wolf, surprisingly calm. He led her into the kitchen. "This is Silvia, my younger sister. She stayed behind to look after the kids."

"Uncle Jamie?" asked a little girl behind Silvia. "Is Alex gonna be ok?"

Wolf smiled reassuringly. "Of course, he is, Emma, we'll find him soon, I promise."

"Wh-What if you don't? What will happen to him?" asked the little boy.

"We will find him, Jaime, don't worry – I promised didn't I?" He gave a lopsided grin. Jack could tell it was strained, but the kids didn't seem to notice.

Wolf turned back to her. "I'm going to go and help the others. It'd probably be bet-"

He stopped speaking and frowned as a black jeep pulled into the driveway. Quickly he turned to Jaime and Emma. "I need you to go and hide in the cupboard – the one in your mother's room. Don't come out until someone you know calls you. Ok?"

The kids nodded- Emma seemed a bit white faced, but Jaime didn't seem to notice the urgency in his uncle's voice.

"And whatever you do, don't talk. Stay completely silent."

The kids ran out of the room, and up the stairs. As soon as they disappeared, the door front door was kicked in. Wolf drew a gun – all the SAS men had been armed constantly since the Scorpia attack the night before – and aimed it at the kitchen door. Seconds later that one flew open as well and Wolf fired.

The Scorpia agent dived to the ground and Wolf took aim again. But more men were filling in, all armed with guns of their own. Wolf managed to hit one in the leg, but they soon overwhelmed him and Silvia, Jack and Wolf all found the cold barrel of a gun pressed against their chests.

One man – obviously the leader – gestured to two men and they disappeared out of the door. Within minutes they had returned.

"He's not here, sir," said one of them.

The leader's eyes flashed angrily. He turned to Wolf. "Where is he?" he hissed, his face centimetres from Wolf's own.

"Who?" said Wolf, playing dumb.

"Alex Rider."

"Never heard of him."

"Don't mess around. Tell us where he is... or we'll shoot one of the women."

Wolf slumped in defeat. "He ran away last night. We don't know where he went."

The man spat, then signalled his men. "Take the women. If Rider is too cowardly to meet us here, we'll make him come to us."

Silvia and Jack started to struggle as two men tied them up and lifted them easily.

"Put them in the car. We had better go before the rest return."

"Sir?" called one of the men. "What about the soldier?"

The leader half turned and looked at Wolf.

"Shoot him."

***

_A/N: Ok, please don't kill me! Pretty please?_

_I know I hurt Wolf, I'm a bad, bad, BAD author... Forgive me? I did promise you action! Please review and let me know you don't hate me for it!_

_Actually, while you're at it, tell me what you thought of the rest of this chapter. Realistic? Over the top? Too quick? I'm never sure how I do on action. I hope you liked it, anyway!_

_Now make me a very happy author and review!_


	10. Chapter 10

_A/N: So the next chapter is here. Bit of a filler, but I'll update on Friday, promise. (Unless I decide to go and commit suicide for like failing my maths exam on Thursday) Anyway, read and enjoy!_

_DISCLAIMER: I own Alex Rider as I am Anthony Horrowitz. I _will _swear to that in court. You know what they say... insanity is the best defence!_

_***_

Snake heard the gun go off from the woods. Immediately, he started running back to the house, Sebastian close on his heels.

They arrived to find the door kicked in. Snake shot Sebastian a meaningful look and cautiously entered the house. They could hear light, panicked breathing coming from the kitchen. Snake raised his gun and pushed open the door. Nothing had prepared him for the sight that met him.

Wolf was lying on the floor, ashen faced and shaking, blood covering his chest. Snake immediately dropped his gun and hurried to his side.

"Where?" he asked bluntly.

Wolf tried to answer, lifting an arm and opening his mouth to speak, but all that came out was a low groan of pain.

Snake bit his lip and began to cut away his unit-leader's top.

The bullet had hit his shoulder, cutting several major arteries and just grazing the side of his lung, though thankfully failing to pierce it.

"Wolf," he muttered. "We need to get you to hospital."

"Wait," said Sebastian, and Snake turned to glare at him. They didn't have time for this. "Where are Silvia and the children?"

"Children... Maria's room..." he trailed off for a moment, his face going even paler.

"Silvia... Jack... taken..."

***

Alex was curled up on the train station when they called him. He had spent the night here, waiting for a train, but none stopped at a remote station such as this in the middle of the night and he had actually managed to fall asleep, only waking up to the tinny sound of his ringtone – 007 theme tune, Smithers' idea of a joke. Half-asleep, he answered it on automatic, barely registering Jack's number flashing on caller ID.

"Hello?" he said, blearily.

"Hello, Mr Rider."

It wasn't Jack's voice.

"Who is this?" he asked, suspiciously, instantly alerted by the sinister voice on the other end.

"This is Scorpia. We have Silvia san Luca, and your precious Jack. If you do not do exactly what I say, you will never see either of them alive again."

Alex didn't bother to ask him to prove it. He could hear Jack screaming in the background, yelling at him to ignore them. She was hysterical. There was a meaty thud, and her screams fell silent.

"You will be on Albert Bridge at midnight tonight. If you are not, they will die."

***

It was dark when Alex reached London again and he had cramp in his leg from spending the majority of the train journey in the confines of the train's miniscule toilet – avoiding the conductor. He was lucky that the conductor hadn't thought it was suspicious.

He mingled effortlessly with the crowd flowing out of the station, keeping a wary eye out for potential agents. They generally weren't hard to spot, Alex had found, for their eyes always darted through the crowd, searching relentlessly, but today there were none. It surprised Alex for a minute and he paused in the shadow of a shop, his eyes desperately scanning the passing crowd for tells, but there were none. Either Scorpia agents had got far better in the last four days, or they were confident enough in their motivation that they did not think he would try anything.

He walked to Chelsea and entered his house. He knew he was being watched, he could feel it. If it was Scorpia there was no need for them to intercept him just yet and if it was MI6... The door opened behind him and he turned around.

It was MI6.

"Agent Rider?" said the black-suited man.

Alex nodded.

"I have orders to take you to the bank."

***

Fifteen minutes later, Alex found himself sitting in front of Mrs Jones.

"Alex," she breathed. He raised his eyebrows; she almost seemed relieved to see him. "Have you any idea how much you worried us? Completely dropping off the radar? One of our best agents goes missing, right after he is reported to be involved in a gun fight with one of the most powerful terrorist organisations of this age? Have you any _idea?_"

He blinked. This was new. She had dropped all pretence of not caring.

"Scorpia contacted me this morning," he informed her. "They have two hostages and will kill them if I do not appear on Albert Bridge at midnight tonight."

Mrs Jones gave a sharp intake of breath. "The hostages will not be on the bridge, Alex, you do understand this, don't you?"

"Of course," he said, inclining his head. "I will not be on the bridge either. I will be in Venice."

Mrs Jones froze. "You will be _where?"_ she asked, hoarsely.

"Venice," he calmly replied. "I am sick of having to look over my shoulder every time I turn around. I am going to finish this... one way or another."

Mrs Jones stared at him, her pale face losing what little colour it had had.

"Do you have weapons?" asked Alex, politely.

She didn't answer, instead she reached over and pressed a button on her intercom.

"William?" she asked her personal assistant faintly. "Could you please ask Smithers to come up here for a minute?"

"Of course, Mrs Jones," came the reply. There was a pause, then "He will be along in a moment."

Smithers walked through the door a few minutes later. He looked surprised to see Alex, but didn't comment, simply taking a seat opposite Mrs Jones, and coincidentally next to Alex.

"Mrs Jones. What can I do for you?"

"Alex has undertaken a new mission. He will need the best you can provide him with."

"The best?!" exclaimed Smithers, "But Mrs Jones, you know that most of my current projects are explosive!"

Mrs Jones took a long look at Alex. He was no longer a child – she finally had to admit that to herself – and this was something he felt he had to do. She didn't blame him – who would want to live with Scorpia seeking their death?

She looked Smithers directly in the eye as she replied. "The best, Mr Smithers."

***

It was quarter to twelve, Italian time, and an hour earlier in England. Alex had landed in Venice about twenty minutes ago and was now lying on the roof, across from Widow's palace, a pair of binoculars in his hands. So far he had spotted five guards mostly situated on the roof tops around him, or at the windows of the villa itself. None were lower than the first floor. Alex smiled, his plan would work.

His plan was actually quite simple – destroy Widow's Palace. This was head operations for Scorpia, more so than ever after it had ceased to also be a private house for Julia Rothman. If he took this place down, they would collapse. He knew that there would be prisoners in there – not just Jack and Silvia but probably other agents who had been caught – and he knew he would have to get them out first, but apart from that his plan was almost ridiculously easy to carry out.

Like so many buildings in Venice, the villa was partially supported on pillars, directly above the canal. Alex would attach explosives to these pillars, as well as dropping them randomly throughout the building on his prison break. The building would become one huge fireball, before drowning in the Grand Canal. MI6 was somewhere nearby, along with the Italian equivalent, ready to scoop up any survivors and arrest them.

Alex had refused to tell Mrs Jones his plan – somehow he could tell that MI6 would not be able to officially approve: it was too destructive, too _messy_, not to mention the high loss of life and huge risk. All they knew was that they would be able to arrest a large number of Scorpia agents at one time. If any survived.

***

Alex did not know it, but security was high tonight, exceptionally high, for all eight board members sat around a long dark table, looking at a computer screen on the wall that showed a bridge in London. Tonight, all of Scorpia was looking towards England, towards the capture of Alex Rider. They didn't realise they should be looking far closer to home.

***

_A/N: Ok, so this is a bit of a filler, I admit it, but if I had gone straight onto the next chapter it wouldn't have made much sense, now, would it? And aren't you happy? Wolf didn't die! I even promise that he'll make a full recovery. It surprises me that when the sniper was about to shoot Alex, no-one was particularly worried, but as soon as it's Wolf half of you try to come after me with pitchforks! (Yes I'm talking about YOU. You know who you are!) You didn't really think I'd let him die, did you? I'm hurt. You obviously don't know me at all!_

_Then again, I have killed Jack and Alex in other stories... so maybe you had some justification... but anyway._

_REVIEW! Your god commands you!_


	11. Chapter 11

_A/N: Yep, I'm back, and a day early too! Your getting this today in celebration of two things. One, I have finally FINISHED it! You have about 8000 words, that's four chapters, after this one. Secondly, I actually did ok in my maths exam! Well, apart from one question I completely blanked on (prove SIGMA(r!)r=(n+1)!-1 by induction. Ideas, anyone?). And seeing as it's the harder paper tomorrow so I probably won't feel like posting, and will be more than likely found hanging outside my bedroom window come morning, I thought I would post now. Thanks go to NienkevHoof for the luck. It obviously paid off :D. Just for that, I'm dedicating this chapter to you!_

_DISCLAIMER: If wishes were money I'd be a billionaire by now and I could buy the rights to Alex Rider and make my wishes come true... Unfortunately, wishes aren't money and I'm just as broke as last time I posted. So no, I don't own Alex Rider._

***

Alex raised his masked head above the surface of the Grand Canal. The moon was hidden by cloud, but even with it, Alex knew that he would not be able to see far in the murky, polluted water. He was effectively blind, unless he surfaced. But the guards could only see him when he _did_ surface; below, his dark suit would make him indistinguishable from the black water.

He could see Widow's Palace up ahead, and once again its position took his breath away. He took his bearings and sank once more below the surface, kicking his flippered feet hard to reach the underside of the building.

When he felt the water grow cold, he surfaced once more. He was surrounded by the thick, brick pillars that seemed to support over half the villa. He could see land not too far away and swam towards it, partially filling his BCD to keep himself effortlessly afloat.

He heaved himself out of the water, and detached the specially designed waterproof rucksack from his front. It had been irritating to swim with, but with a large oxygen cylinder on his back, he didn't have anywhere else to put it.

He unzipped it and pulled out a block of what appeared to be grey plasticine. It wasn't. It was actually a type of plastic explosive, a variety of Semtex that the MI6 had been developing. Not only was it able to be detonated wirelessly, but it was also far more potent. He knew that he had more than enough to blow Widow's Palace to pieces, despite already having visited the training centre at Malagasto and done a similar thing. When he pressed the button, both buildings would blow up.

Quickly he broke off a piece of the putty-like substance and slipped back into the water, being careful to hold it above his head, out of the water. He wasn't sure if it would work when wet, but he wasn't about to take that chance. He took the lump to the nearest pillar and carefully pressed it into the join between the pillar and what was currently the ceiling. He returned to land and repeated the process with the rest of the pillars.

It was on the final pillar that Alex noticed it: a brand new, shiny grate covering a small hole. It looked like an old well, and Alex knew that that was exactly what it was. He smiled. He had found his way in.

Laying the putty had been a laborious process and it wasn't until about half an hour later that Alex zipped up the rucksack and slipped back into the canal. His original plan had been to simply take out the guards and enter, but this was nowhere near as suicidal. He did, however have to return to his temporary base of operations to kit up. He had travelled light, thinking he would not need guns or body armour and that it would just slow him down. Now it was costing him time, time he didn't have.

***

Smithers sat in a van on a street near Albert Bridge. It was almost midnight. There were field agents dotted around the area, he knew, but he couldn't help but be nervous. This was the first time he had participated in an operation in more than a supportive sense, and while it was unlikely that he would be in any danger and was completely necessary for him to be there, he had to admit that the still, ominous night was getting to him. It all seemed so needlessly melodramatic. Why midnight, anyway? Why not two in the morning, or ten at night? Either would be just as satisfactory, surely.

Smithers shook his head and concentrated on the controls in front of him. Alex was relying on him.

***

Two Scorpia agents stood on Albert Bridge. There was almost no traffic now, just the occasional car. They leant on the railing and, looking for all the world like two men contemplating the dark surface of the water, they waited. Somewhere a clock began to strike twelve. A figure appeared on the end of the bridge. They tensed, one covertly removing a gun from its holster. The figure drew closer and they felt a small measure of relief as they recognised the serious brown eyes and short blond hair of their target. The relief quickly faded as they remembered exactly who this was: the teenager who had defeated Scorpia; the son of the infamous John Rider; one of MI6's top agents. Alex Rider.

***

Alex hauled himself out of the canal, and was glad to feel a pair of strong arms reach down to help him out. He nodded his thanks, unwilling to break the silence, and the soldier smiled in return. There were four of them, all from the SAS. Together they made up M-Unit.

Officially, they did not know who Alex was but rumours had been circling the camp ever since he left. Someone had seen the head of special operations arrive on the same day he left. A unit of SAS had been working as security guards at a high profile conference just three days later. The teenager crashing through the roof; the hastily emptied gun; the orders –_Don't shoot. _Just a month later, K-Unit had returned from the Alps, mouthing off among themselves about a suicidal kid, though there was no denying the respect in their tone. After the near-theft of Air Force One, SAS men had arrived on the scene to find a terrified teenage girl, a girl who wouldn't stop asking questions – _Where is he? Where have they taken him? Is he ok? _

So no, they did not know his name, but they knew that this _teenager _– as incredible as it seemed – was one of the top agents for Special Operations. This was the point where they universally decided to stop asking questions. They were pretty sure they would not like the answers.

Alex largely ignored them as he stripped off his wetsuit and scuba kit and dried himself roughly with a towel. He wasted no time in pulling on the light, black trousers of a ninja, and stowed a pair of the soft, yet tough, shoes in the rucksack – separate from the explosives; he had no wish to blow his feet off when he pushed the button. He also added to the rucksack several fingerprint sensitive guns – and reloads – a few stun grenades and several other weapons, many, though not all, lethal. Into the front pocket he slipped some of the gadgets Smithers had given him over the years – refilled or replaced if they had run out: the tube of 'Zit Cream', the expanding gum, his yoyo and a new eavesdropping device that worked just like his Game Boy had, and his bullet proof riding jersey.

Finally he pulled out sturdy, circular inflatable, which he folded up and tucked just inside the bag. He left his wetsuit, in favour of the dry suit that would keep the water off his newly donned trousers.

They had prepared for every eventuality, knowing that even the best of plans was liable to change, and Alex's had never been more than a rough outline anyway. Alex was glad they had, he had almost everything he needed. He turned to one of the soldiers and whispered something. His eyebrow's shot up in surprise and curiosity, but he quickly nodded and left, signalling to the others that he would be back soon.

About ten minutes later he returned, clutching a bottle of baby oil in his hand.

Alex smiled and tucked the bottle in his bag. He was ready.

***

On Albert Bridge, the two men watched as Alex Rider approached them. It was definitely him. He was the right height and build and had identical facial features. But they could tell something was off. He was moving strangely, as if he were a puppet on a string. The first man shrugged it off and rolled his eyes at his partner, laughing at their paranoia. He may be Alex Rider, but he was still only a teenager! They were being ridiculous.

***

_A/N: Ok, so Alex is in two places at once. Anyone want to hazard a guess how I did it? :D._

_Also... I'm sorry I'm not replying to all your reviews, at the moment. I'm replying to as many as I can, but at the moment I'm more interested in not screwing up my exams, if I'm honest. As soon as I've finished I'll start replying less sporadically, I promise. In the meantime, keep them coming cause the really make me happy and make me smile, and encourage me to update faster, so please review._

_Next post will be on... Tuesday, hopefully. Unless I completely crash and burn on physics that day in which case I'll be revising like crazy and it will be Wednesday. Of course, if English goes well on Monday you might get it a day earlier... so yeah, sometime between Monday and Wednesday._

_Ciao!_

_Odd x_


	12. Chapter 12

_A/N: So yeah, you're once again getting it a day early because an exam went well :D and once again because I have a hard one tomorrow and will probably just want to find a bottle of something explosive to drown my sorrows in. (Anyone under eighteen: Drinking is Bad. Do Not Do It. It Ruins your life... There, I think I've been sufficiently responsible (read hypocritical) ) Anyways, onto the story._

_DISCLAIMER: I do not own Alex Rider. I am simply borrowing him and promise to return him – mostly – unharmed._

_***_

Alex once again hauled himself onto the land underneath Widow's Palace and repressed a shudder as he did so. He hated this place. It was cold and dark and smelt foul from the refuse that had washed up on the shore.

He once more unzipped the rucksack and pulled out the inflatable. Detaching his oxygen cylinder, he connected it to the inflatable using the tube that would normally feed his BCD. Within seconds, it was inflated and Alex quickly sealed off the valve. He stripped off his scuba equipment and shoved his feet into the shoes he had brought with him. Next, he pulled out the baby oil and began to coat his shoulders, back and chest with it, until he was slick and virtually frictionless.

He pushed the raft onto the water and crawled on top of it, forced to keep low by the ceiling. There had been only a foot and a half to start with, with the inflatable thrown into the equation, Alex had to keep as low as possible or scrape his shoulders on the rough stone.

Carefully he navigated over to the grate and pulled out his metal eroding zit cream. He was forced to roll onto his back to apply it, and winced as the rock scraped his shoulder. He smeared the cream onto the edges of the grate and supported it with his hands. It gave way with a metallic scrape and Alex cast it into the canal. It immediately sank out of sight below the surface. After pouring some more oil on his chest and shoulders, he reached up into the narrow tunnel, pushing his rucksack ahead of him. It was a tight fit and Alex had to force down the panic that rose within him as he felt the walls pressing against him. He had never thought that he would have to go through here again. He was tempted to go back and revert to his original plan, but he had to admit that it was suicidal to do so. Slowly he began to manoeuvre his way along the narrow tunnel.

***

The two men stood up as the boy reached them.

"Where are they?" he asked.

One of the men frowned. The voice seemed tinny. He shook his head. They had the boy's guardian – what could go wrong?

He raised his gun and pointed it at Rider's chest. "Come with me or I'll shoot," he ordered, coldly.

Without protest, the boy walked forwards, his face expressionless. The men frowned. Something was wrong here.

***

It hadn't taken long for Alex to bust out of the room where he had come out - this time he had come prepared - but as he crept along the corridor, gun in hand, he realised that he didn't recognise anything from his brief visit. The palace was just that, a palace, and it was _huge_.

Luck, however, seemed to be once again on his side. Just when he realised he was hopelessly lost, he heard someone approaching and hid himself in the shadows of the dimly lit corridor as two guards walked past.

"Tell you what, seeing as we both need to get off early, how about I go to the cells while you check the offices? We could be done in half the time," said one guard.

"Are you mad?" replied the other. "Do you have any idea what they would do to us if they found out? I might need to get home early, but I'm not that desperate! We'll just walk a bit quicker, ok?"

"Offices first, then?"

"Yeah. We'll do the cells after."

Alex smiled and followed them, silently. The guards were tired and unobservant. They weren't expecting to find an intruder and more importantly they didn't want to – they just wanted to go home. It was easy to follow them without being noticed. It might not be the fastest way to the cells, but it was the surest.

It took about five minutes to reach the offices. The guards did no more than walk down the corridor and open each door. There were no tigers this time.

Alex stayed behind after they turned the corner, certain he would be able to catch up with them. Most of the offices were little more than cubicles but one was richly decorated, with a brand new computer sitting on the desk. Alex crossed to the desk and loaded it up. He didn't have time to search the files, but he was pretty sure that he could find something that would allow him to copy the contents of the hard drive. He blinked when the screen finally flickered into life, there was nothing on there. He did a quick search of the computer. Nothing. Not a single document, not even a photo.

He frowned and began to search the draws. Also empty, apart from one, which was locked.

His frowned deepened and he took out a piece of expanding bubblegum. Within seconds the lock cracked. He opened the draw. It was virtually empty, apart from a file and a bunch of memory sticks, each carefully labelled. He grabbed them, shoving both into his rucksack. He pulled out a bit of Semtex and moulded it to the bottom of the desk. Approximately half of what he had come in with was gone now, dotted at random intervals throughout the building. He was probably going a bit over board, but he didn't care. Better safe than sorry.

He caught up with the guards about half way down the next corridor, still being careful to keep to the shadows. He was confident that they wouldn't see him. At his training in Malagasto he had been taught how to avoid attention if he needed to. He had been the best. He would not be caught.

But gradually they moved further down, away from the shadowy opulence of the main house and into the basement. The lights became brighter, the walls white with white linoleum underfoot. He stood out, and there was nothing he could do about it. One of the guards looked at his partner, then half turned, an exclamation of surprise on his lips. Alex raised a straw to his lips and blew. The dart sank itself into the guard's neck. Another straw, another dart and another blow and they were both unconscious. Alex knew he could have used a gun, he had several with him, but somehow he could not bring himself to shoot someone, even a Scorpia guard. He forced his mind away from the explosion he would cause later.

He checked the guards were indeed unconscious and carefully stepped over them, heading down the corridor. It only took him a few turns to find the cells and immediately he was surprised that the guards had been told to patrol here. There was a small army outside the cells, one man for each door and then two at either end of the corridor. He peered around the corridor, planning his next move. He ran through the contents of his rucksack, He needed something silent, that could take out a large number of guards, even if only temporarily. Immediately his thoughts turned to the stun grenades he had brought, but they were loud and would attract a lot of attention. Frowning, he pulled off his rucksack, searching for something, _anything, _that he could use.

Eventually he found it, right at the bottom. It was what Smithers had called a _Solar Grenade_. Privately, Alex thought he might have been watching too many vampire films, but he didn't comment. What the device did was actually remarkably simple. It set off a magnesium flare, bright enough to temporarily blind someone for up to five minutes. He pulled it out, along with a handful of darts to fit into his blowgun. Before, he hadn't had time to reload, but with his opposition temporarily blinded that shouldn't be a problem.

He pulled the pin on the grenade and threw it round the corner. As he expected, all heads turned towards it, and Alex clapped his hands over his eyes. He was not directly in sight of it, but he wasn't taking any risks at this point.

_5... 4... 3... 2... 1..._

He counted down silently. Just as he reached one, a bright light wormed its way through his fingers.

After a couple of seconds the light died down and Alex opened his eyes to look around. There were a series of bangs and muffled curses coming from the guards.

"Hey! Hey! Anyone know what the hell that was?" called one voice. There were a few grunts of denial, but no-one else spoke.

Alex turned the corner, his blowpipe and ammo held firmly in his hand. It took perhaps a minute to take down the confused stumbling guards, though one did lunge at him, obviously not having lost his sight completely. He now had approximately an hour until they woke up. He hastily stuffed piece after piece of bubble gum into his mouth, before forcing it into the locks of the doors on either side. By the time he reached the end, he had run out of gum, having to divide his last piece in two and hope it would still work. It did.

Several prisoners had come out of their cells, obviously wondering what the crack was. Alex tried to find Jack or Silvia in the crowd but was disappointed. They weren't there. He clenched his fists in anger. It couldn't change his plan though. He had to get these people out of here.

He turned to the prisoners, several looked confused at the materialisation of a teenager in their mist, but he ignored their anxious glances as he spoke.

"I am here to get you out. Follow me, as quietly as you can."

Several people looked primed to object, but a large man stepped up beside Alex and silenced them with a glare.

"Which way, kid?" he asked, quietly.

Alex looked up at the man gratefully. Now was not the time to ask awkward questions. Silently, he stalked out of the corridor, retracing his steps towards the offices. Once there, he paused and closed his eyes in thought as he struggled to remember. Mrs Rothman had been talking to that doctor over there, he could remember that... but how had he got here in the first place? Slowly it came back to him, and he started forward. He was surprised how quiet the people behind him were; some had obviously had training, and he guessed the rest were just terrified of being caught. It took him a surprisingly short amount of time to reach the entrance hall and he felt the man next to him breathe a sigh of relief as the large double doors came into view.

"That the way out, kid?" he asked.

Alex nodded, once, and laid a restraining hand on his arm. "Wait."

The man turned to look at him questioningly. "Take them around that wall. I want to check out that door there," said Alex, pointing alternatively to the wall to their right, and a large, highly ornamented door on the opposite side. "Keep them well back from the door. Once I've figured out that that room isn't a guard post or something, I'll blow the doors and you run. Take them to the nearest square, and don't get separated."

The man raised his eyebrows at 'blow the doors' but didn't comment. Instead he simply nodded and headed off around the room, hugging the wall and signalling the others to follow him.

Alex, meanwhile crept the other way, and soon found himself outside the door. Cautiously he withdrew the device that Smithers had given him and placed it against the door, putting the headphones in his ears.

Voices came into hearing, even as a room popped up on the screen. He could see twelve figures gathered around a table, though he couldn't make out any details. There was a dark object on the far wall. Alex guessed it was a television.

"Something is wrong," said one of the voices. It sounded Australian, though it was difficult to tell through the distortion that the device caused.

"Yes," agreed another, "He should not be so pliable. Rider is known for causing trouble."

"Nonsense," came a third voice, "He will not try anything that might risk the life of this... Jack."

"Even if he does, he will be shot. He cannot escape again."

At this there was a murmuring of agreement.

The last voice continued. "We have no reason to be worried. This room is almost completely impenetrable. They would have to blow the entire building apart to reach us. Even the door is made of disguised steel and can only be opened by the key, which as you can all see is in the middle of the table right now. We have taken every safety precaution possible; even if we do, by some twist of fate, lose Rider, there is no possible way for them to get to us. We are the board members of Scorpia and we should act like it, not a bunch of cowardly school girls!"

Alex pulled the device away from the door and turned it off. The board members. It would explain the ridiculous number of guards by the cells and the patrols. Well, if he couldn't get in to them, and he fully believed them about the security measures in place on the room, he would simply have to make sure that they could not get to him.

He took out a small amount of Semtex, his last piece and carefully filled the keyhole with it. It may not be quite as effective as chewing gum at blocking a lock, but he was sure that it would solve his problem at least temporarily.

Now it was time to bust out of here. He had been planning to simply throw a grenade at the doors, but it seemed an incredibly dumb thing to do with twenty or so newly freed prisoners relying on him to escape and the entire building wired with plastic explosives. He had no guarantee that they would not get hit by the debris. So instead he crossed to the doors and squeezed his tube of zit cream on each of the four large brass hinges. The doors were large and sturdy, but without the hinges to hold them in place, they fell outwards with a crash.

Alex stood still as the people streamed out, vanishing quickly into the darkness. He could hear shouts further back in the building. He knew that he had to get out now, without being seen. If they saw him, they could kill Jack and Silvia. He turned and ran after the others, turning the corner just as the first men burst into the entrance hall.

It didn't take them long to reach a square. It was in fact the same one that Alex had slipped off from on his school trip. Alex pulled out his last gadget. It wasn't a weapon or anything to help him pick a lock. It simply communicated his position to an MI6 helicopter nearby.

It took them all by surprise when it arrived. It was so quiet that they hadn't heard it until the last minute. The square was, unfortunately too small for the helicopter to safely land, but five ropes were lowered from the helicopter, each supporting a figure in a harness. They landed and Alex was surprised to see that one of them was in fact Mrs Jones. It was incredibly strange to see her in the field.

"Mrs Jones?" he asked, trying – and probably failing – to keep the incredulity out of his voice.

"Yes, Alex. Who are these people?"

"They were held captive by Scorpia."

"I see. And is, per chance, your plan finished, by now?"

Alex bit his lip. "I need to talk to Smithers."

Mrs Jones frowned at him for a minute then sighed and pulled out a mobile phone. "Don't worry the line is secure. Speed dial 3 for Smither's."

Alex smiled his thanks and keyed in the number.

"Hello?" answered Smithers cheery voice a moment later.

"Hi, Smithers, it's Alex."

"Alex, old chap, great to hear from you, I can't tell you how relieved I am that you aren't dead."

"Thanks, Smithers, I have to admit I'm pretty relieved about that too," smiled Alex. "I was wondering if you have had any results from the bot."

"Of course, dear boy, _my _Alex is currently sitting in a cell with two beautiful women, who claim to be called Silvia and Jack. Ring any bells?"

Alex's smile broke into a grin. "Do you have co-ordinates, Smithers?" he asked.

"Of course I do!" exclaimed Smithers, "Did you think that I wouldn't have some way of tracking a gadget as fabulous as this one? I can assure you I don't plan on loosing _this, _young man!"

"Smithers," began Alex, "Just out of curiosity, why _do_ you have a robot that looks just like me?"

"Ah, well you see, Alex. It didn't. The Alex-bot was originally Genevieve Mark II, but I simply stripped her back and coated her circuitry in enough latex to make her look like you. You're eyes were remarkably difficult, you know? It took me at least three tries to get brown eyes, they're so much harder than blue, if you want them to be convincingly human at least. Anyway, the entire point was that teenagers can go a lot of places without raising suspicion, so I thought that a remote control teenager might be able to gather information quite easily. I never imagined that it would be used in this situation, but when working with you, anything is possible I guess."

Alex shook his head. Smithers might be a genius, but sometimes Alex wondered about his sanity. Robotic teenagers? Gods, scary thought.

"Ok, Smithers, thanks for everything. Could you send me the co-ordinates?"

"Will do. You take care now!"

Alex hung up.

Four SAS soldiers had emerged from the darkness and had quickly moved through the former-captives. It was one of their surprised yells that drew Alex's attention.

"Lynx?!"

***

_A/N: Ok I'm sorry about the ending. But it was either here or carry on for another two thousand words, and seeing as this chapter is something of a record for me already I thought I better stop._

_Congratulations to everyone who guessed right, yes Smithers made an Alex-bot. Seems slightly creepy to me, but anyway._

_OK so I have a question. Any of you who have read my Duty to the Dead... would you be interested in a prequel? ie, how Yassen and Amethyst got together? It'd be short, lie maximum three chapters, more likely a one-shot. What do you think? PM me about that, or simply say yes or no in the REVIEW that you, as a polite, cultured, intelligent and above all, kind individual will be giving._


	13. Chapter 13

_DISCLAIMER: I do not own Alex Rider or any associated characters. They were simply created for me to play with!_

_***_

Alex rose from his seat on the plane. Mrs Jones had commandeered a jet to fly them from Italy back to Heathrow. Alex, however, wouldn't be going that far. The co-ordinates had come through and been linked to a secure facility, supposedly part of Astra Zeneca, a large pharmaceutical company, though a detailed search would actually prove that it was privately owned. No amount of searching would result in a name.

Inspired by his last venture into a secure facility, where he had BASE jumped in from a cliff, Alex had exchanged his diving gear for a parachute and was now preparing to jump. Lynx, none other than the man who had helped Alex, had wanted to come with him, but Alex had pointed out that after over a month of captivity, he should probably go straight to hospital to be checked over.

It had been awkward at first, when they realised that they were, at least on paper, team mates and yet had never met each other before and Alex wondered exactly what the rest of K-Unit would say when they found out. Apparently K-Unit was starting to be thought unlucky. They had had the most interactions with special operations, and so their members were more likely to get shot, kidnapped... or leave to join MI6.

It had been Lynx who had pushed the button. Alex could remember the feeling of being completely and utterly frozen, knowing it was what he had to do and yet being unable to move. He realised he couldn't do it. Killing all those people just by pushing one button... it had to be wrong. Lynx had seen his hesitation and had grabbed the remote off him. The buildings had been blown up. When it had gone up, Alex could feel their eyes on him. None of them had known exactly what it would do. Alex felt the weight of their accusations settle upon him. Murderer. It may have been Lynx who pushed the button, but the intent had been his.

Now he just had to finish the job.

Alex could see the building below him. Flood lights shone over the entire compound. It looked more like a prison than the drugs company it was masquerading as. He closed his eyes briefly and jumped.

The air was whipping past him. The plane had been flying low, as low as it could without arousing suspicion, but it was still almost twice the height of his previous jumps – far higher than the recommended height for skydivers – and the air was _thin. _He could barely catch his breath.

There... the air was getting thicker. He could breathe more easily, especially if he turned his head to the side. Still free falling... The ground seemed miles away. He had wanted to leave the parachute until the last minute, less chance of being caught, but his hand was _itching_. He was desperate to pull the cord but he couldn't he'd be seen. He remembered what Lynx had told him in the plane.

"_Thirty metres is the record. It's almost suicidal, and you'll still come down with quite a thump. I suggest no less than forty. You shouldn't be noticed. You're parachute is black and it'll only be deployed for just over a minute. If you leave it that long, you won't have time to deploy your back up shoot if something goes wrong, but I guess you'll have to take your chances. Have you ever done this before?" he had asked._

_Alex nodded. "Parachuted twice... base jumping once... similar to this..."_

_Lynx raised an eyebrow. "I don't think I want to know. Good luck, kid!"_

That had been just ten minutes ago, it felt like a lifetime already. He was just falling forever, nothing before and he sure as hell couldn't see anything after. Just constant falling...

No wait. Shit! He had to pull the shoot. Now!

He yanked on the cord. It didn't budge. Alex felt pure blind panic gripping his mind. He was still falling. His breath was coming in short, sharp pants. He yanked on the cord again, desperation lending him strength. The parachute deployed.

Alex breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't know what had happened, but he felt himself relax at the sharp tug on his shoulders, slowing his speed.

He was perhaps twenty metres from the ground and it seemed to be rushing towards him far too fast. He hit the roof of the building with a thump, wincing as the impact sent a shockwave through his ankles.

Hurriedly, he stuffed his parachute away and shouldered the bag. He could dump it later when he found a suitable hiding place.

This part was going to be easier than the last. MI6 had proved their worth and found the blueprints of the building. Surprisingly, it had actually belonged to a drugs company before Scorpia bought it in suspicious circumstances. With the tracking device installed in Smithers' Alex-Bot, this should be easy.

Mrs Jones had warned him against any 'pyrotechnics' this time. His job was simply to get the prisoners out so that SAS could storm the place. They wanted to have a chance to find intelligence. Alex had given Mrs Jones the file, which contained several legal deeds for properties in Europe, most of which should have been in government offices, and the memory sticks. But they were encrypted, and the small laptop that Mrs Jones had with her wasn't up to the challenge of decoding them. It would have to wait until she got access to the MI6 mainframe, and the many computer technicians who worked there.

Alex lowered himself over the edge of the roof and dropped down onto the fire escape. The door would be alarmed, he was sure of it, but there was a window right next to it that might not be. He couldn't see another way in, so he didn't really have much choice. Carefully he took off his riding jersey and wrapped it around his hand before punching the glass. It broke with a loud smash and Alex paused, shrinking into the shadows. There was no sound. He shook the glass off his top and pulled it back on.

Climbing through the window, he dropped silently onto the pale linoleum floor of the dark corridor. He ran silently down the corridor, ducking into a janitor's closet at the end. In the pitch black of the cupboard, he pulled out a torch and the blueprints.

He guessed that Jack and Silvia would be held somewhere in the basement, the location seemed the traditional place for cells anyway, and so studied the prints for a flight of stairs. There were two flights, each running from the top floor to the basement. One was right on the other side of the building, but according to the blueprints, the other was just around the corner.

Perfect.

He slipped out into the deserted corridor. It was the work of a minute to find the stairs and only took him a few more to reach the bottom. So far it had been easy, ridiculously so in fact, but he knew that this level would be more secure if his guess was right.

Apparently he was. The door at the bottom of the stairs was locked, though it was only the work of a minute to pick it, and when he opened it, it was to see the surprised face of a guard. Alex blinked and lashed out with a kick. The man wasn't expecting it and fell instantly. Alex pulled the limp body and walked through the door, locking it again behind him.

He pulled out the small electronic tracker he had been given on the plane. There was an electric blue arrow pointing somewhere off to his left. Alex shrugged and followed it. He met two more guards on the way, and took them out silently, one with a blow to the head, the other with kick to the stomach.

He noticed that the arrow had slowly started turning red, and he guessed that he was getting close. He turned one last corner and saw two men standing outside of a room. Both were armed with serious looking guns held close across their chests. Alex slowly backed around the corner and breathed a sigh of relief. They hadn't seen him. Now how the hell was he supposed to get past two armed guards with nothing but his hands?

Slowly a plan formed and he retraced his steps, smiling.

When he reached the place that he had stashed the body of the unconscious guard, not two minutes ago, he hastily removed the man's jacket and trousers, quickly replacing his own with them. The trousers were too long, as were the sleeves of the jacket, but hopefully they were baggy enough to hide his narrow stature and make him appear to be another adult, at least for long enough to fool the guards. He pulled on the security-style hat that went with it.

He picked up the guard's gun, the heavy weight feeling uncomfortable in his hands. Slowly he headed back to the corridor where he had seen the two guards. He turned the corner, keeping his head down, the brim covering his youthful face. The guards didn't call out as he approached. Every step seemed to take a lifetime and he was expecting a bullet in his chest at any moment, but he forced himself not to hurry and to keep moving in the same purposeful, steady gait.

He didn't look up until he was about three feet from the guards. Then he raised his head and jerked the barrel of the gun into the guard's nose. He spun the gun around and hit the second guard over the head with the butt before he had a chance to raise his gun.

They both fell to the ground unconscious, a look of surprise etched on their faces. Alex quickly searched them, but found no keys. He swore under his breath and pulled out a roll of lock picks. It took him about five minutes to open the lock. It was perhaps the tensest five minutes of his life. At any moment a guard could come around the corner, or an alarm could go off. He was surprised when none did, but wasn't about to start complaining.

The lock finally clicked and Alex slipped inside.

"Oh! Alex!" someone cried, and Alex immediately found himself trapped in a tight, desperate hug by Jack.

"Jack," he gasped. "Need to breathe."

"Oh, sorry. Are you ok?" she asked, releasing her death grip on his neck.

"I'm fine. How are you and Silvia? Did the hurt you?" he asked, looking around. Silvia was in the corner, white faced. She was staring at him with what looked like shame written on her features.

Jack shook her head.

"Smithers?" said Alex cautiously.

"Here, dear boy," came Smithers' voice, though it sounded slightly distorted.

Out of the shadows at the back of the room, came another Alex. It wasn't exact but it was close enough that you couldn't tell the difference until you saw them together.

"God, this is creepy," remarked Alex, then shook his head. _Focus_, he told himself sternly.

"We need to get out of here," he said urgently.

"No, you really don't," said a voice behind him.

He turned. There was a woman and four burly guards standing in the doorway.

"Alex Rider," she said, "How good of you to finally join us."

***

_A/N: Mwahahaha, the evil cliffy returns! I know I am very, very, very mean. But you all love me anyway, don't you?... No? - *pouts* - Fine then. Be like that._

_No A/N at the start because I didn't really have anything to say, and I have come to the conclusion that A/N's for the sake of them are wrong and, frankly, probably don't get read. Oh, and for anyone who had forgotten, I mentioned Lynx when Alex was talking with K-Unit. He is Fox's replacement and went MIA about a month before the story started. Well, I couldn't just leave him like that, could I?_

_Please review! The more reviews I get the quicker I'll update!_

_Ok, so no, I'll update on Monday no matter what... but review anyway, 'cause it makes me HAPPY!!! Lol. So yeah, please review and let me know what you thought. Hope you enjoyed it,_

_Oddx_


	14. Chapter 14

_Disclaimer: I do not own Alex Rider, and while I might be able to lay some kind of claim on Alex-bots, I have no idea how to actually make them. Sorry to disappoint all of you who wanted one!_

_***_

Alex tried to fight, but against four Scorpia-trained guards, he didn't have a chance. He was dragged away from a screaming Jack and white faced Silvia and into a separate cell. He was searched thoroughly and beaten mercilessly. By the end, the only things keeping him upright were the two thugs on either side of him. Eventually it ended and they released his arms

They jeered as he fell to the floor, but Alex couldn't care. The bitter taste of defeat was in his mouth. He had failed. He had been supposed to get Jack and Silvia out before the SAS men came in. Now Scorpia had hostages.

"Leave him," ordered the woman. "We'll come back later after we've had an opportunity to think of some more... creative punishments."

Alex let his head fall back against the wall, exhausted. The extensive beating had sapped the last of his strength. He drifted into an uneasy sleep, hoping desperately that the SAS men would arrive before the thugs returned.

***

Jack glared at the woman standing in front of her. "How could you?" she hissed. "He's just a boy!"

The woman laughed. "Miss Starbright, a boy he may be, but hardly 'just'. He ruined a major operation of ours and has caused the deaths of two of our board members. No, he is no mere boy. You don't understand him anymore, do you, Jack? May I call you that?"

Jack was positively shaking with rage, but didn't answer.

"Oh good," said the woman, "I would tell you my name, but there doesn't really seem to be much point as you're going to die soon anyway."

"What are you going to do to him?" said a quiet voice from the back of the cell. It was Silvia.

"Torture him."

Both Jack and Silvia paled, and Jack launched herself at the woman, only to be knocked back by the two men flanking her. Silvia rushed to her side and helped her up, but the both stood still as the woman crossed the cell to circle the Alex-Bot.

"Interesting," she murmured. "It really is an amazing piece of technology, though I can't believe that MI6 thought we would actually fall for it."

"I thought you made a pretty good show at falling for it at the start," smirked Jack.

"Yes, well that was the point, wasn't it?"

Silvia and Jack scowled and the woman walked out.

"I'm so sorry Jack," said Silvia, "I-I'm sorry I was so mean to him... if I had known..."

"Don't worry about it. It's a dangerous world and you had every right to be suspicious of a stranger."

Apparently this didn't comfort Silvia though, as she promptly burst into tears. "He- He's just a- a child and they're- they're..." she trailed off, sobbing.

"Don't worry," came a voice from the other side of the room. "I've told Mrs Jones. The SAS are on their way."

It was the Alex-bot. "You know, she really should have realised the communicating advantages of a robot before she tried this little scheme," said Smithers, thoughtfully, through the speaker.

Despite herself, Jack let out a weak, watery laugh. Things were going to be ok. They _had_ to be.

***

When Alex woke up, it was to frantic footsteps and loud curses outside his cell. Warily, he clambered to his feet, leaning heavily on the wall for support.

"Hurry up, you fool!" snapped an impatient voice. "We have to get out of here; they could break through at any moment!"

The door burst open. "Grab him," ordered the woman, "Grab him and follow me."

_OK, so no torture, that's a nice surprise_, mused Alex as he was dragged through the corridors of the facility. _But what has got them so upset? Unless..._

She had said they could break through... she wasn't talking about the SAS, was she? Could Mrs Jones have actually ordered the attack anyway? Alex felt hope leap to life inside him.

He was dragged through seemingly endless corridors and back up the flight of stairs he had come down. But this time he was led, not back to the fire escape, but to another, smaller set of stairs that led up to the roof.

He was pulled out of the door at the top, the door he had dismissed immediately after seeing the swipe card mechanism on the lock, and was pushed into the middle of the roof. Jack and Silvia were there, bound and gagged, and the thudding beat of helicopter blades was deafening him. He looked up just in time to see it land. They tied him up as they shoved Jack and Silvia on, then threw him on after them. Only one guard climbed on, along with the woman.

They took off, quickly leaving the facility behind. Through the closing door, Alex could see the SAS surrounding the compound. Hopefully Mrs Jones would get the information she wanted, but he couldn't say he was really worried about that. At the moment he just wanted to get Jack and Silvia out.

He made as if to sit up, but the guard kicked him in the stomach, sending him sliding back into the wall. The wall was good, he could hide his hands, but still that bloody hurt!

He relaxed his wrists and was pleased to feel the ropes loosen. Quickly he twisted them until he could reach the knot. Within minutes he was free. Alex kept his hands behind his back and inched his way over to Silvia and Jack.

"Jack," he whispered as loudly as he dared, pulling down her gag. "Jack, I'm going to untie you. Lie still until I get up, then I want you and Silvia to take those two parachutes and get out. Ok?" He indicated the two items under the seats in front of them, currently level with their heads.

Jack turned her face to him. "But... I don't know how..."

"Just count to five then pull the cord as hard as you can. And for God's sake, bend your knees when you land!"

The guard and the woman still hadn't turned around, for which Alex was eternally grateful as he swiftly untied the two women.

He pulled himself into a crouch, just as the man turned around.

"Hey-!" he yelled, only to be cut off as Alex leapt at him with a back kick. The man staggered backwards, then threw a punch at Alex.

Alex dodged back then ducked to avoid a knife hand from the woman. The spinning of the blades got louder, and he saw with relief that Jack and Silvia were standing by the open door.

"Just go!" he yelled, ducking another punch from the man.

He could see Jack wanting to protest, but Silvia took her arm and they jumped. Alex sighed in relief.

His momentary distraction cost him, however, and he felt a punch land on his jaw. He could feel himself weakening. He was already at the end of his endurance. He had to finish this quickly.

He aimed another kick at the man. It would have hit his head, but the man dodged. But he had lost his balance and fell out of the still open door. The scream quickly died away, covered by the noise of the beating. Alex turned his attention back to the woman, just in time to catch her fist as she aimed it at his temple. He pulled her forward and raised his elbow, ramming it into the back of her head. She fell unconscious.

Alex turned his attention to the pilot. The man was white faced. He obviously knew what was going on behind him, and was powerless to stop it. He had to keep his hands on the controls or kill them all.

Alex pulled the gun from the woman's holster. He didn't know why she hadn't used it, although he guessed that shooting your only hostage is not a good idea when you have the SAS after you.

He levelled it at the pilots head.

"Move," he commanded. The pilot glanced back at him nervously. "Now," he added, gesturing to the empty co-pilot's seat. The man slowly began to move, letting go of the controls at the last minute. The helicopter jerked and began to spiral out of control.

Alex grabbed onto the seat to support himself and quickly hit the pilot over the head with the gun before seating himself in front of the controls. Desperately, he pulled on the joystick and, by some miracle, managed to slow their descent. He scanned the controls nervously. He had no idea what he was doing! The only thing that he had any clue about was the joystick in front of him, and even that looked fairly complicated.

Suddenly it all became immaterial as a hand closed around his neck. The woman had woken up.

He grappled with her frantically as he felt his airways constrict.

"Are you mad?" he gasped. "You'll kill us both! Get off!"

But the woman was psychotic. She wouldn't listen to reason.

Now she was in front of him, flailing at him with her fists. Alex blocked a punch, fully aware that he couldn't keep control of the helicopter and fight her. He had to get out before they crashed

He was over the back of the seat in an instant but almost lost his footing as the helicopter went out of control again. It was falling fast. He staggered over to the door. They weren't all that far off the ground now, and it was closing fast. He did the only thing he could.

He jumped.

Briefly he became aware of a lake far below him, sparkling blue in the newly risen sun. The water sprayed up around him as he landed.

He slipped into darkness.

***

_A/N OMG this is the PENULTIMATE chapter! Can you believe it? Just one more left! I know I can't._

_I was almost late updating this, only an hour left before the stupid internet cuts off. But aren't you proud that I remembered?_

_And I am officially VERY sorry to all the wonderful reviewers who haven't been able to reply to. Normally I try to reply to every review before I update, but with the exams (only five papers left, I'll be done by Friday, YAY!) I don't have time to, and I thought you probably wouldn't be too happy about waiting until the end of the exams to have an update. But please keep reviewing. They always make me happy and less stressed out._

_So yeah... please review!_


	15. Chapter 15

_Disclaimer: Not mine, and unfortunately it is unlikely that it ever will be. However, if you feel like changing this sorry state of affairs, send a letter to PO box 301 or email me at IwantAlexRider obsessed. com and I will give you details of how to pay me._

***

He awoke to the beeping of a heart monitor. It probably should bother him that the sound was so familiar, but at the moment he really didn't care.

Mrs Jones was sitting beside his bed.

He wondered how she knew when he would wake up, or whether she simple waited there for him to do so. Somehow the latter seemed unlikely.

"Alex, you're awake," she stated.

"Mrs Jones," he said, trying to nod his head, then giving it up as a bad job when he realised he had a neck-brace on.

"What happened?" he asked.

"When we saw the helicopter leaving, we sent a team to follow it. They recovered Miss san Luca and Miss Starbright, unharmed, but there was no sign of you so they kept following. They saw the helicopter spiral out of control and you jump out. By the time they got there, you were already unconscious in the lake. You nearly drowned. They had to perform CPR, then brought you here immediately. You have a broken leg and collarbone as well as multiples fractures in your ribs. Apart from that, and your... older wounds which have apparently already been stitched, if with a large amount of haste, you appear to be fine. A fall from that height... you should be dead!"

Alex smiled grimly. "Luck of the devil, remember?" he said, closing his eyes. "What happened to the helicopter, and any luck with those memory sticks yet?"

"The helicopter crashed. There were no survivors. As for the memory sticks, we haven't managed to get past all the security measures yet, but we have accessed one and if they all prove as useful as that one, we will be able to round up every client and agent for the last five years."

Alex guessed he should feel happy, or excited, or _something_ at least, but instead he just felt a bone-deep weariness flooding his senses.

"When do I get debriefed?" he asked.

"Actually, you don't need to be. Miss Starbright, Lynx and M-Unit – they were the unit that retrieved you, by the way – have, between them, managed to fill in the blanks."

"And the explosion?" asked Alex. Mrs Jones had mentioned a disciplinary hearing at some point on the plane.

"Due to the... unusual circumstances, there will be no hearing. Legally, you do not exist as an agent. Therefore you could not have been there to blow up the building. It would cause unwanted questions to be asked if we attempted to take action against you for it."

Alex nodded; it made sense and, apparently, being unofficial did have its advantages.

"This incident at school," began Mrs Jones. Alex felt himself tense. He had forgotten about that. "We have spoken to the headmaster, and there will be no consequences there either. The boy doesn't blame you, though he is remarkably curious as to why you reacted like that. But we would, however, like you to start seeing a psychiatrist."

Alex tensed even more. If there was one thing he hated even more than MI6, it was the idea of a stranger poking around in his head.

"This is not an option. It is compulsory, and we have been remiss in not sending you before. It is to keep both you and those around you safe, Alex."

Alex slumped. They had a point, and he knew it. "Fine," he muttered, behaving exactly like a normal sulking teenager.

"We are not being unreasonable, Alex," said Mrs Jones, gently, "We honestly just want what is best for you."

Alex bit back his retort. If they wanted what was best for him, they wouldn't have sent him on any missions in the first place.

Just then there was a knock on the door. As if it had been a prearranged signal, Mrs Jones rose from her seat and left. Alex tilted his head towards the doorway. Silvia was standing there.

"Can I come in?" she asked.

"Course," smiled Alex.

"I just wanted to apologise... for my behaviour at the house. It was uncalled for."

"It's fine, Silvia, honestly. I had expected everyone to react like that, if I'm honest."

"It's not fine. I treated you awfully, and then you go and save my life!"

"Only after I put you in danger in the first place," Alex pointed out.

"Will you be quiet?" she joked. "I'm trying to apologise here and you're not making it any easier!"

Alex laughed. "Apology accepted. Just try not to get kidnapped again!"

Silvia smiled. He would be ok. She could feel it.

_Epilogue_

It was the middle of November when he was finally released, and he was desperate to get back to school. Officially, the story was that he had been in a car crash, and apparently it was somewhat believable as, for once, no one had called him on it. He had had a surprising number of visitors while in hospital, though, especially considering that, officially, no one was supposed to know why exactly he was there.

James Miller had been one of the first, arriving with Tom almost as soon as Jack left. It had been awkward, but as soon as Alex had been persuaded not to keep apologising to the boy constantly, they had gotten on well, and both boys had insisted on playing football with him as soon as he was able, though he pointed out that, with a broken leg, it wouldn't be for a while.

Wolf and his entire family had come to visit him as well though, thank the gods, not all at once. Sebastian and Maria had appeared just a few days after Silvia, with Emma and Jaime, and Wolf had been a frequent visitor too, being situated just down the hall from Alex.

Alex had felt incredibly guilty when he found out that Wolf had been shot, but Wolf had brushed it aside, saying he would make a full recovery and had been shot before. Alex winced, commenting that he seemed to get shot every time they were together. Wolf just laughed.

And now he was, finally, out and returning to school. James and Tom were waiting at the school gates and Alex grinned to see them. As he was walking up, his phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Alex. It's Sebastian."

"Oh, hi Seb, how are you?"

"I'm good, I hear you got out of hospital today?"

"Finally! I can't stand hospitals!"

Sebastian laughed. "Actually, I'm phoning to extend an invitation."

"For what?" asked Alex curiously.

"Christmas, to you and Jack. Would you like to come over?"

"Isn't it a little early for that?" he asked, dubiously. Sebastian was probably trying to play some kind of practical joke.

"Not at all!" exclaimed Seb. "Christmas is a big deal in our family. Everyone comes over!"

"As in everyone who was there last time, everyone?" asked Alex

"Yeah... they'll be there... along with our cousins and their children and Eleanor's brothers and sisters..."

"You have got to be kidding me..." said Alex, turning pale.

"Come on, you know you'll love it!"

A voice could be heard in the background. "_Is he trying to say no? Tell him that if he doesn't, I'll have to come and drag him down there myself!"_

"Erm... who was that?" asked Alex, slightly scared.

"Oh, you heard? It's just Silvia."

"What is Silvia doing in Oxford?" he asked, confused.

"Oh, she quit her job and decided to start up her own law firm here."

Alex smiled; apparently Silvia had decided that success wasn't everything then.

Seb continued. "And she'll kill me if you don't say yes, so you better!"

Alex laughed. "Ok! Ok! I'll come!"

"Great! Now I've got to go, I'm going to be late! Ciao!"

Alex hung up the phone and rolled his eyes, walking over to his friends, still waiting –rather impatiently now – at the gates.

"Who was that?" asked Tom curiously.

"Sebastian," replied Alex.

"Oh," said Tom. "As in from that family that has pretty much adopted you?"

Alex winced. What had he got himself into?

THE END

***

_A/N: Ok, so I'm not completely happy with this Chapter, so I'll probably go back and edit it at some point. Yes I do plan to write about Christmas... but I think I'll do it around Christmas time, so you've got a bit of a wait... On the plus side I had a fantastic idea for a sequel... probably not the best time for it to occur to me seeing as how I was in the middle of a French exam but hey, apparently my imagination was bored. Actually I'm pretty sure I was just bored in general. But anyway. I'm starting to wonder if I'm ever going to be able to finish with the stories I start though, the Duty series just seems to be getting bigger and bigger, and this has just spouted a one-shot and a sequel at me... grr Stupid muse!_

_Anyway. Please Review, and tell me if you think I should write a sequel. (it will be featuring Sebastian, and probably Wolf, but I'm not sure exactly how much yet. I think the problem is that I fall in love with my OC's and can't bear the thought of letting them go! I mean, I have a character profile on every member of Wolf's family and you barely saw some of them! Ah well. You'll get to know them at Christmas. Plus those cousins... should be interesting..._

_Oh god, I am going to drive myself crazy trying to write this aren't I?_

_Oh well. I was way over halfway there anyway._

_So yeah, REVIEW!_


End file.
